From yesterday’s DNT. I don’t know this fellow but he could be channeling me:
When I saw the column by Duluth School Board members Ann Wasson and Bill Westholm on Nov. 23, I hoped they were offering an apology for raising property taxes almost 12 percent after assumptions on Red Plan funding went awry. Instead, in the column titled, “Running fewer schools results in savings that are applied to repaying bonds,” they offered a tremendous amount of spin on general-fund deficits and Red Plan bond repayment.
The way I see it, the school district gambled on real estate speculation with taxpayer money and lost when it couldn’t sell buildings made excess by the Red Plan to make bond payments. As a result, bond payments have to be taken from the general fund, which now has to be replenished by higher property taxes. Obviously, the taxpayers can’t make the students suffer because of poor planning by the school district. However, I think the district does owe taxpayers an apology.
Steve Savageau
Duluth
I’m going to Chicago without my computer tomorrow. If I don’t wake up and resume my meditation in the middle of the night it will be several days before I’m likely to continue it.
