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Legislative Pledge Press Release

For Immediate Release 
July 31, 2008 
for more information contact: 
Harry Welty 


Let Duluth Vote sends Referendum Pledge to Legislative Candidates 

A pledge to reintroduce Rep. Mike Jaros’s bill, which would put the Duluth School Board’s “Red Plan” up for a binding vote, has been sent to 14 area legislative candidates by Let Duluth Vote. 

The Jaros bill was dropped from the final tax bill because of Governor Pawlenty’s objections to it. Let Duluth Vote spokesman, Harry Welty, says that because only $10 million of the $293 million Red Plan will have been expended after this summer the passage of the Jaros bill would stop the vast majority of Red Plan spending until a referendum was held next year. 

“We intend to let the voters know how their candidates for the legislature stand on a Red Plan referendum,” said Welty. “The Duluth School Board may have stolen the vote but our legislature can restore it. Because this is a local bill it will be a cinch to pass next year if all our area legislators support it. The legislature almost always defers to local legislators on local concerns.” 

The language of the Jaros bill can be read on the Let Duluth Vote website, letduluthvote.com, along with the letter sent to legislative candidates. http://www.letduluthvote.com/Jaros%20Bill%202009/2009legislature.htm 

The letter extensively quotes Rep. Jaros's explanation for introducing the bill last March. According to Jaros, “Their plan to address declining enrollment and address the need for repairs is going to cost almost half a billion dollars. Almost all of that is going to come from regressive property taxes. Even for a liberal like me, that's too high a price tag. The district is already facing a $5 million deficit and the [red] plan will probably double that. Other school districts - such as Brainerd, Faribault and Two Harbors - have made similar choices and are having a tough time raising enough money to pay for teaching programs.” 

Reintroducing the Jaros Bill is one of several ways Let Duluth Vote is attempting to put the Red Plan decision back into the hands of voters. 

This is the pledge: 

Will you pledge to reintroduce and or vote for the original Jaros legislation which would guarantee that the voters of the Duluth School District would be given a binding referendum on the Red Plan or any other major overhaul of Duluth School facilities before said project was allowed to continue? Yes_______ No ________

 

If you care about Duluth and its schools 
don't put your faith in the Duluth News Tribune
The last word on the Red Plan can be found on Harry Welty's blog:
 
www.lincolndemocrat.com
And if you're looking for some particular piece of information use the blog's search function.
You never can tell what you'll find.