[Winona Online Democracy]
Hi Scott,
The "Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota" lawn signs are from an
organization at www.betterminnesota.org The closest local person to contact
about yard signs is Marta Bollesen in Rochester. Her phone number is
507-259-3081.
Better Minnesota is a progressive, grassroots organization promoting
healthy families, exceptional schools, strong cities, clean lakes and
thriving businesses. They support the "we're all in this together"
philosophy of taxes that Kathy, Vicki and Craig have been explaining.
You will see that the Better Minnesota homepage features a quote from
former Minnesota Governor Elmer Anderson. The quote reads, "Taxes are
the way people join hands to get good things done. That's the tradition of
Minnesota."
Anderson is a revered, longtime Republican leader who recently spoke out
against the Pawlenty "no-tax" solution for solving the budget crisis.
Sharon Erickson Ropes
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Lowery" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 11:13 PM
Subject: [Winona] budget cuts
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> In response to Kathy Seifert's suggestion that we share knowledge of
> tax-funded programs that are being cut or eliminated:
>
> Local coverage has focused on programs in danger of losing County funding
> (Women's Resource Center, Historical Society, Project FINE, etc.) In
> addition, federal cuts have hit the local level in the area of job
training
> and other vocational services.
>
> One specific area that I know about is a Youth Employment program that has
> provided summer jobs and school year training for at-risk teens,
> coordinated through the Workforce Center. Several years ago, as many as 20
> or 30 teens were involved in the summer program, while this past summer
> they were cut back to serving only 2 or 3 kids. This program has been a
> great way for economically disadvantaged teens to get support and training
> while learning to become successful in the workplace. It's especially
> unfortunate that these cuts have taken place at the same time as the
> extreme tightening of the job market. At the same time, the local school
> district has also cut back on vocational programming for special needs
> students! Does this have implications for all of us in terms of crime,
> chemical use, domestic violence? Ya think?!
>
> I think Craig Brooks is right on target in pointing out that the most hard
> hit in loss of services are and will continue to be people who do not have
> much political voice or leverage. Low income teens would be one of those
> groups.
>
> We of course continue to hear rhetoric from the tax-cut zealots of the
> Pawlenty camp to the effect that we all want to believe and live out the
> American dream of financial independence and economic success. We all have
> to tighten our belts, right?
>
> What they don't tell us is that the kids from Hidden Valley or Maplewood
> Homes or Frogtown (inner city St Paul) don't stand a chance of keeping up
> with the kids from Eden Prairie or Edina (or even Valley Oaks I suppose)
> and that, by abandoning the attempt to narrow the gap, we are abandoning
> those kids who rely on government to do the right thing.
>
> Does anyone know where a person could get one of those yardsigns that says
> "Willing to Pay for a Better Minnesota"? There are a lot of them around
the
> Cities but I haven't seen many in Winona. I'd be willing to buy a bunch of
> them and distribute them, if I knew the source.
>
> ----------
> "There are years that ask questions and years that answer."
> Zora Neale Hurston
>
> sent by:
>
> Scott Lowery
> 461 Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969
> home phone: (507)689-4532
> school phone: (507)454-9573
> home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> school email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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