Progressive Action held a candidate forum in the City Hall last week for the candidates vying for Mike Jaros legislative seats. WDIO aired their answers to our question wondering whether they would support the reintroduction of Mike’s bill to give Duluth voters the right to vote on the Red Plan.
Opposed to the Red Plan
Brandon Clokey, Democrat “I simply believe there are better ways of doing things. I question what the end result will be.”
John Derbis, Democrat, “I think the Red Plan is disingenuous, I think it is inflammatory and I think it is divisive. I would have been an outspoken critic of this plan from the outset.”
Dr. Daniel Maryland, Democrat “The school doesn’t educate the children the teachers do and I’m in favor of improving the schools but I don’t like the idea of the Red Plan I’ve been against it all along like most of our candidates here. However, if there is going to be a change I think the population the citizens who are going to have to pay for this through their taxes and other resources should have a voice in it.”
Jay Cole, Independence Party I find that schools don’t always come up with creative ways of doing things and I don’t think the solution is to sell the buildings. I do believe that the voters should have the right to vote on this.
Alan Kehr, Republican “The very first thing that I would do if elected would be to see to it that legislation was passed so that we were always protected as taxpayers so that we always had a voice in this kind of indebtedness.”
Sitting on the Fence
Marshall Stenerson “I have some real issues with the guise under which this was brought up but my overriding concern is with disinvestment in public schools in the state of Minnesota which has been going on for twenty years so I’m not attempting to evade your question but it is not a one minute response question.”
Supporting the Red Plan
Roger Reinert “I think it is important that we continue to work with the school district and keep the pressure on and look at socio economic and racial diversity and but we also have to respect our elected peers.”
Dr. Maryland may be an Independent. He’s not listed on the Secretary of State’s website as a candidate in 7B
