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Subject: Referendums--a note from a concerned parent

Representatives Kelliher and Greiling,

Bemidji’s referendum failed last week. We will spend weeks analyzing campaign strategies, messaging, and voter turnout, but what we really need to do is to change this dependence on levies.  That’s why I’m writing.

The necessity of these levies means that parents are asked to spend hour upon hour for months teaching the community about a broken system.  What’s worse is that we parents must ask our community to raise taxes---something that even a skilled politician cannot seem to accomplish in this environment.  In the final days, organized opposition crushed the good work of parents in Robbinsdale.  Four years ago, the Taxpayers League ran radio ads in Bemidji to defeat our referendum. It’s a nasty environment.

I’m a parent who worked tirelessly on a campaign 4 years ago and was a less-involved member of this campaign.  Frankly, I’m distressed and disheartened that I must now take more valuable time away from my family to teach and advocate and chase down votes for our next campaign---all so that our children will have decent class sizes.

Legislators and the governor need to stand up and fix this system. I stand ready to advocate at your side when you bring to us a solution to this dependence on levies—a better way to reliably fund our schools.

Thank you for your consideration.

Wendy Thompson
Bemidji