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This entry was posted on 11/2/2006 12:43 AM and is filed under uncategorized.

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• 11/3/2006 8:20 PM Ms McDonald wrote:
  I've been reading all of the comments posted and one thing I have to say is, "KEEP IT SIMPLE!"
  
  I was born and raised in the small town of Babbitt, Minnesota. (15 miles south of Ely). When I attended high school, in the 90's, we also had high academic scores like Westonka does. Except that our school was so poor (K-12), that we had to share our books with Tower/Soudan,and Mesabi East(Aurora, Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes). Every year they would combine 10-12 grade classes for English/History. For example: One year Mesabi East would have Psychology, Tower/Soudan would have American History, and Babbitt/Embarrass would have World History. The next year they would switch. That way it would save the school districts money. Even in a school district that is one of the poorest in the state, we had the tools. Westonka does not need more money for their schools! They need a better plan. I am not saying to share books, that was just an example. My point is that when times are hard, there is always a solution. If peaople in office would view things like "money is hard to come by" rather than "money is meant to be spent" I think we could come up with better plans for the future of this city.
  
  I'm just an entry level accountant, so what do I know, except that I see financial reality for what it is and not the greasy politics behind it. If people in office would look at the budgets, funds and grants as if it were their own money, it would be much different.
  
  If citizens want to preserve this town as a small town, then we need small town ethics.
  
  Another thing! I really want to see knew blood in the Mayor seat, but with so many people running against Meisel, it is distributing votes into a handfull of people, which might not be so good. There are a couple of candidates that I am leaning towards, but who will take Meisel out of office? Do I want to vote with my gut for a change, or do I want to vote with the majority for a change? My gut says it's time for a change!
  
  If citizens want to preserve this town as a small town, then we need small town ethics.
  
  Another thing! I really want to see knew blood in the Mayor seat, but with so many people running against Meisel, it is distributing votes into a handfull of people, which might not be so good. There are a couple of candidates that I am leaning towards, but who will take Meisel out of office? Do I want to vote with my gut for a change, or do I want to vote with the majority for a change? My gut says it's time for a change!
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  1. 11/3/2006 11:56 PM Sheryl Hill wrote:
     Unfortunately, our kids are sharing books, and desks, and meeting in hallways because Westonka needs more space and our buildings need maintenance. We have 2-3 teams sharing basketball courts and fields.
     
     Senator Gen Olson told me that Levy's are critical to west metro districts because teacher salaries have not kept up with inflation. If we don't support our 'excellent' teachers we stand the risk of losing these incredible assets to communities that value education.
     
     Even after the referendum passes (both ?'s), our district will have 7 other west metro districts who are better funded than us by significant margins.
     
     I grew up in a small town in frontier Alaska in the 60's. Our schools were never needy. The entire community supported us. I never shared a book or a desk. I graduated with a class of 60 and was also an honors student.
     
     What message will you send to our kids if you don't stand by them?
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• 11/3/2006 10:54 PM Erik Stoehr wrote:
  Your point is well taken.
  
  Unfortunately we have a school board and school administrators here in this small town that have made the case that Mound-Westonka schools match and even exceed surrounding schools in academic performance, hence we should try to raise more money, to match with these larger and more affluent school districts in boutique non-academic expenditures, completely ignoring the fact that our students may well excel as they do precisely because we are not obscuring the mission of the public school with a bunch of unnecessary and superficial stuff, instead of keeping the focus on the single issue they charged with fulfilling: providing a rigorous education for our children.
  
  The reason, I think, this referendum has really bothered so many people who have previously been a rubber stamp for public school tax hikes is precisely because it is all about appearances, newer, shinier, better than Wayzata and Orono!
  
  I think an over-whelming majority of people in this school district agree with me, that what they want to use to stick it in the other schools face's is consistantly, year in and year out superior test scores, more AP classes & the developement of an academic tradition for half the money!
  
  People know that just spending money, austensibly for education without actually IMPROVING that education, is really a detriment to the community and to property values.
  
  As well the amount of money spent on administration, and the inordinant amount of time this administration has spent trying to gentrify our schhols instead of improving them, is a credit to the hands-on staff.
  
  The contempt with which we are held by the schoolboard is best exemplified by Ron Faust's cursing temper tantrum at one of the Citizen for Common Sense meetings.
  
  Who will ever know what's going on in these people's minds, they are too arrogant to to actually lower themselves to speaking in an open forum with the public.
  
  They want to be able to control the debate, they don't want to be put on the spot, and be revealed as the under-informed ego-maniacs they are.
  
  That's why they want to speak to each person individually! Can you imagine the gall? If you can't engage in the discussion you deserve to lose at the ballot box.
  
  I can't wait to see what the ratio of insults to information is in tomorrow's Laker.
  
  My mother raised me with the understanding that how things look and who has the shiniest car doesn't matter squat, and that's all the school board and their syncophants care about.
  
  I just don't get how people can think they are so high and mighty that they shouldn't have to lower themselves to speak openly and publically to us commoners?
  
  Doesn't that just make you gag? Their phony smiles and patronizing blather, BLECH - It is contrary to everything America stands for!
  
  We really need to 'throw the bums out' as they say.
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