David's Blog

• Maureen Booth said she couldn’t comment on Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) specifics because she had not been allowed to view the plan. We encourage her, and anyone else seeking detailed information about the Long Range Facilities Plan, to visit the ChooseDuluthSchools.com website that has been live for several months.
• Art Johnston said that while he supports Plan B, he is not a member of Let Duluth Vote. That’s apparently a change in his position, because he was the Let Duluth Vote spokesperson who presented Plan B to the School Board on June 23.

The two challengers who said they’d vote to keep more schools open – Johnston and Kasper – did not provide any ideas for how they’d pay for them.

Here is how the candidates responded to three key questions people are asking:

• Which plan do you support? All four incumbents said they support the LRFP now underway. Johnston and Stromgren support Let Duluth Vote’s Plan B. Kasper said he supports aspects of the LRFP, but would keep Nettleton and Morgan Park schools open. Booth said she could not answer because she had not seen details of the LRFP.
• If elected, would you stop all work on the facilities plan? – Booth, Kasper and Johnston said they would stop work on the plan. The four incumbents said they would not stop work on the plan. Stromgren chose to not answer this question.
• Would you vote to keep more schools open than the LRFP currently includes? – Booth and the four incumbents said they would not vote to keep more schools open. Stromgren again chose to not answer at all.

Those who answered yes were asked if they would pay for the extra schools by seeking an operating levy, cutting teachers, freezing employee pay, cutting existing education programs, cutting extracurricular activities, or something else.

Johnston and Kasper said they would indeed keep more schools open. However, they would use steps other than the five options suggested. They did not provide specific ways to pay for the extra schools.

Johnston also said he’d like the community to have more discussion about Plan B, and we agree with him. We believe it’s vitally important for voters to realize the financial, educational, environmental and safety implications of Plan B versus the approved Long Range Facilities Plan.

This blog and Tuesday’s well-attended FORVM are tangible indications of the Chamber’s commitment to help voters go to the polls on November 3 with accurate information on which to base their important decisions.

In support,
David Ross