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AT THE CAPITOL:   EDUCATION

ALL-STATE EDUCATION RALLY ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Join us on Friday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m. on the steps of the State Capitol for the All-State Education Rally to tell Governor Pawlenty and State Legislators that funding for our public schools is a priority for the people of Minnesota.  The rally, organized by parent groups and school board members, will move ahead our goal of higher funding and better education for all Minnesota’s children.  SEIU is working hard to ensure that every Minnesotastudent has the very best education.

Show your purple pride by wearing SEIU gear!   For more information on the rally, contact Janelle Rau at SEIU Local 113 at 651-256-9109.

PAWLENTY’S EDUCATION BUDGET SHORTCHANGES PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Governor Pawlenty’s education budget proposal for 2006-2007 falls far short of adequately funding public education in Minnesota.   Schools are closing, class sizes are increasing, and school employees are being laid off.  To reverse this trend, SEIU supports increased funding for E-12 education by at least $400 million.

Under Governor Pawlenty, the state is breaking its promise to Minnesota children.  By proposing only a two percent increase in education funding, far short of the 2.5 percent increase needed to match inflation, Governor Pawlenty is not living up to its constitutional obligation to the students and citizens of Minnesota. 

The past two years of cuts have taken a toll on Minnesota’s schools.  In 2003, $185 million was cut from our schools.  For 2006-2007, the Governor proposed $184 million in additional funding, but half of that increase relies on local school districts to raise revenue through referenda. Even with these local levies, the funding proposed is inadequate.

In both the House and Senate Education Finance Committees, legislators heard testimony on the Governor’s budget for our schools.  On February 9, 2005, Janelle Rau-Clauson, political director of SEIU Local 284, and President of SEIU Local 63 Frank Miscowiec, testified before the Senate Education Finance Committee that the Governor’s Proposal falls short of the inflationary adjustment needed for our schools.  The SEIU school employee representatives also shared stories from school service workers about how cuts are squeezing our schools.

SEIU Local 284 members called on State Legislators and the Governor to keep the promise of public schools at a press conference on February 15.   School Districts, students and staff are feeling the squeeze as politicians continue to underfund our schools.  “When nutritional workers are being instructed to take food trays from students who don’t pay up, we’ve got a problem,” said Carol Nieters former nutritional service worker now on staff at SEIU Local 284.   All across the State of Minnesota, our kids are pedaling their chocolate bars to raise money for: band, books and toilet paper.  “We believe that the State should at least keep up with inflation--$400 million would be needed to get us there,” said Shane Allers, Executive Director of SEIU Local 284.   “We have come prepared with options to raise the revenue (1) to ask kids to sell more candy bars, or (2) to close billions of dollars in preferential corporate tax loopholes.”

To find more information on corporate tax loopholes visit www.seiu284.org