My friend Frank just passed on the email he sent to the Education Commissioner. Its a fine letter:
“I urge you to look into what will be foisted on to the Duluth taxpayers
in the very near future if the proposed agreement/contract between the
Duluth School Board and Johnson Controls is allowed to stand.
The notion that a body of citizens not be allowed to vote on something
that will affect them all for a long time to come is distasteful and not
at all consistent with what the founding fathers had in mind when this
country was founded. It will set an ugly precedent for all school
districts in the state which I believe will come to haunt state
government. Duluth is already struggling with the effects of the city
government retiree health care issue. It’s magnitude is around $300
million dollars. If this plan referred to above is allowed to stand
without voter input, then a long term debt of equal or greater magnitude
will be added to the citizens of Duluth.
It may be true that Duluth needs a plan of this scope to address its
educational infrastructure, but not at the expense of examination in the
light of ballot box. ”
