To the editor:

A Nov. 25 letter about an editorial on defeated school referendums asked wistfully what we might see if there were a statewide school levy referendum vote. One could argue that a legislature is elected to make those and other difficult decisions about the quality of life in Minnesota. Yet the question is intriguing.

One outcome might be that wealthy individuals and/or corporations would contribute heavily to fund a "vote no" campaign to avoid paying higher state taxes. Another outcome might be that Minnesotans would collectively decide that we need to fund what has historically been one of our state's greatest assets.

Minnesota has never been a state that has been run "on the cheap," in part because its values, until recently, have been for well-funded schools. These values have consistently had it among the best states in the country in which to live and raise a family. 

Now our state taxes have fallen, and our property taxes have shot up. There is a greater disparity in quality education among various parts of the state than in earlier decades because of a lack of commitment on the part of our state representatives to fund an exemplary education for all of Minnesota's children. A great state asset has suffered irreparable damage. So, what would happen if there were a statewide vote?

Amy Lemieux
Eagan

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