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Campaign season has started and it’s off to a bang.  TV ads are repeated hundreds if not thousands of times.

Attack ads are the worst.  And, they can be the lowest.

But, this year, we’re seeing the absolute low.  A Governor attacking our children?  Seen the 70% education spending ad yet? It’s on during the kid’s breakfast time. Yup, it’s our own Tim Pawlenty at his best, I mean worst. 

The commercial is made to sound as though it’s common sense to demand accountability of our kids.  It’s made to seem as though our schools waste your tax payer dollars.  Just in time for the levy vote to be put to the voters.  Vote yes to Tim and 70% classroom spending, forget the levy. 

Connect the dots.  Rather than a subliminal message aiming to undercut education, this one’s straight through the heart.  Over 70 school districts have levies on the ballots this year.  Why? Funding cuts back to 2003’s legislature under Pawlenty’s watch.

Fact: in order to keep our district budget intact after years of no funding by my pal, Tim and his henchmen, we’re forced to call a levy. 

Fact: Tim distorts the picture that there is excessive waste in our schools with extra personnel.  Truth: it’s Tim that’s over-hired.   When the governor was insisting that all of the state departments reduce expenses, he hired a bunch of his pals. Currently there are 48 deputy and assistant commissioners.   No belt tightening here.  Do what I say, not what I do.

The Omnibus Supplemental Appropriations Bill, and specifically the Cohen Amendment attempted to curtail the Governor’s cronyism.  It was voted down by “fiscally conservative” Senators Michele Bachmann and Brian LeClair.  The bill would have curtailed the number of political appointees by limiting departments and agencies in the Executive Branch to one deputy commissioner.  It would have reduced the General Fund by $7.9 million dollars.  Accountability?  Nope.

Truth: school districts in Minnesota spend an average of 7.9 percent on administration compared to an average 10.7 percent countrywide.  Stillwater area schools administration expense is less than 3.6 percent.  Factually, one of the best.

Fact: Necessary school components were not included in the Governor’s earlier 70 percent proposal on education spending.  The proposal did not include librarians who instruct students.  Nor did it include counselors or school nurses who assist students.  Heating, cleaning, repairing and maintaining classrooms didn’t make the 70%.  Computers in the classrooms or computer labs didn’t either.  Improving teacher training to teach kids in the classroom doesn’t count.

Fact: this bill came from conservatives in Washington.  They’ve been trying to get it passed at 65% and haven’t had much luck.  Representative Karen Klinzing tried in 2005 to no avail.  Representatives Matt Dean and Ray Vandeveer co-authored the bill with her.  Referred to committee, it never made it out.

Fact:  the bill is being pushed by an organization called First Class Education.  Their goal was to publicly roll out the 65% proposal in March 2005. Their ultimate goal: “change the law in all 50 States and the District of Columbia by the end of 2008.”  View their website at http://www.firstclasseducation.org/.

“According to a confidential memo prepared for state lawmakers by First Class Education, the group also hopes to use the issue as a political weapon in the 2006 elections to sow dissension among state education unions and boost the political credibility of Republicans on education issues.”  Source: Stateline.Org October 28, 2005.

This is one measure, there are many more where our legislators are concerned.

For example, Senate File 0727.  Senators LeClair and Bachmann attempted to take away local school board control by mandating when school board elections must be held.  The bill took away all public funding to inform the public of a levy.  It’d magically appear on the ballot to an uninformed public.  You can surmise the results.  The bill thankfully didn’t pass.

Look at your local legislators campaign flyers.  Who’s touting “education” as their number one priority?  Note if they state “public education”.  There’s a difference.  Using the term “education” could mean a whole other thing, like taxpayer support for private, parochial and religious schools.  Translation, vouchers and increased taxes. Ask them what they mean.

Check out who donates to your legislators.   The Alliance for Separation of Schools and State members support Michele Bachmann.  She is also supported by the organization or members of EdWatch, Eagle Forum, Concerned Women for America and the Freedom Club.  They’d all like to see traditional public schools go away.

Senators LeClair and Bachmann both voted a number of times against the Omnibus Education bill in 2006.  There was no support until it was stripped down.  That way they can tell constituents they voted in favor of public education.  Duplicity, that’s what I’d call it.

Love your kids?  Support your public schools?  Take responsibility to know who and what you vote for, you could be in for a surprise.  I was.

Gerald O'Connell
Stillwater

http://www.stillwatergazette.com/