Letter - Keep Westrom working for rural schools

To the editor:

In 2012, after facing a $6.2 billion deficit the year before, the state began running a surplus of almost $1 billion. After learning that the state’s financial picture had greatly improved, Representative Westrom and his colleagues at the Legislature took action to pay back delays in school payments from the budgets in 2009 and 2011.

Westrom supported a bill that would have paid back $430 million from the shift employed by the DFL in 2009 to balance the budget. To Torrey, it made sense that when you borrow money in bad times, you pay back those you borrowed from, instead of keeping the money yourself.

Unfortunately, Governor Dayton vetoed the bill and further delayed repayment to the schools.

As a former superintendent in Western Minnesota public schools, I know ho important it is to be a good steward of money.

Keep Torrey Westrom working for rural schools and elect him to the Minnesota Senate.

Burton Nypen

Ortonville, MN

(A paid political letter)

Tags: opinion, letters