Yesterday's Pioneer Press wrote that "[Randy] Kelly said he's been an advocate for education throughout his political career, and defended his mayoral record on education as 'probably unparalleled' in the past 50 years in St. Paul."
Seems quite overstated, but draw your own conclusions....
"KELLY OPPOSES SCHOOL LEVY"
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/2002/09/05/news/local/ 4004116.htm
Pioneer Press, September 5th, 2002
Mayor Randy Kelly thinks the St. Paul school district's proposed $18 million-per-year levy is "ill advised and premature" and has written a sharply critical letter to the school board opposing the tax increase...His letter criticized the property tax increase, stated a preference for looking to broad-based state funding to help schools and said the school board didn't lay the necessary groundwork before its vote last week....The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce indicated opposition even before the planned levy was publicly announced last week, saying the district first needs to reach out to residents and explain the need for another levy.
"We cannot maintain a strong city, strong schools, if we don't make this type of minimal investment," [Then-School Board Chairman Al] Oertwig said. "When did we stop seeing children and start seeing tax burdens?"
The last time he talked to Kelly, Oertwig said, was the day before the school board's 5-1 vote to put the levy on the ballot. He said Kelly had indicated he would remain neutral on the levy until he learned more about it.
The district worked through a $20 million shortfall [in 2001-2002] by eliminating about 400 staff positions. [In 2002-03], it project[ed] a need to trim $16.3 million from the budget. The levy would bring in $18 million a year and run for four years, aiming to maintain current programs but not restore the cuts made this year.
"ST. PAUL LEVY HEADS TOWARD VICTORY" http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/twincities/news/local/4455248.htm Pioneer Press, November 6th, 2002
With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting in St. Paul, the school district's four-year, $18 million per year levy was winning support from 57 percent of voters.
Bob Spaulding Downtown
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