Reader's view: School district poisoned atmosphere for referenda

This is in response to the April 8 editorial about the Duluth school district’s difficulties in selling Central High School and other properties.

History has shown that inflated values for empty public properties, with few exceptions, are not met in actual sales. So take inflated appraisals, throw those in as an offset to the cost to taxpayers and you’re either dishonest, deceptive or just stupid. No matter the reason, the public gets tapped.

Add to this the misuse of former state Rep. Mike Jaros’ levy legislation, skewed surveys and the lack of a public vote on the Red Plan, and you’ve got a poisoned atmosphere for future public referenda.

We all want new stuff, but that is always tempered by what we are able to or willing to pay for. The district’s consultant, Johnson Controls, had no incentive to mess up its cash cow, as I saw things, but we should have expected more from our elected School Board members. Saying they failed would be a gross understatement.

George Balach

Duluth

The writer was a Duluth School Board member from 1988 to 2000.

Tags: opinion, education, editorials