[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Taking charge, DFL style

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Taking charge, DFL style
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1205849840.shtml


   Too bad if you're too young to remember The Smothers Brothers, a pair
   of troubadours whose act you could trace back to Vaudeville with a
   touch of Abbott and Costello. Dick was the straight man, smarter, more
   serious, Tommy the fun-loving imp. They would often do folk songs like
   "Boil That Cabbage Down" during which one would say "take it" to the
   other, apparently when the other wasn't ready. The song would stop
   while they sorted it out, for big laughs of course, often ending with
   "Mom liked you best!"
   Here's the DFL solution to education funding, tucked away in House
   File 3107 authored by Rep. Frank Moe (04A, Bemidji). As I read it,
   this repeals the existing referendum mechanism for school districts to
   raise property taxes.

     Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 126C.17, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4,
     5, 6, 7, 7a, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13, are repealed. This section is
     effective for taxes payable in 2009.

   But rather than proscribe its replacement, the bill says "take it" to
   the Governor:

     The governor's proposed K-12 education budget for the 2010-2011
     biennium must include recommendations to replace the school
     district funding that was previously raised through locally
     approved operating referenda. A preliminary draft of this portion
     of the budget must be publicly released prior to October 1, 2008.
     The draft must specify the revenue sources used to replace the
     operating referenda and provide details on the distribution of the
     replacement revenue among school districts. This section is
     effective the day following final enactment.

   I suspect this bill has little direct chance, offered to help grease
   the skids for the coming P.S. Minnesota "reforms" that will no doubt
   propose raising education funding another $1-2 billion. On the other
   hand, the Governor could simply propose continuing the current system.
   It does suggest that the DFL is stuck, unable to quantify or sell its
   K-12 reforms directly. Here, they can say they did something for
   schools in their 2008 campaign literature, even if the bill contains
   no ideas and no money. It only forces a decision.