I am proud to tell people I live in the Fargo/Moorhead area as I explain to them that in the last calendar year the youth of this community have twice saved us in our time of need from horrible flooding.  They have stayed up long nights with their strong backs to fill and place millions of sands bags.  I am equally as ashamed to the these same people I live in the Fargo/Moorhead area as I explain that three times the voters of this community have failed to come through when these same young adults need there support in return.  I am speaking of the three failed referendums of our local schools.

 Last June, West Fargo went to the voters seeking a $65 million referendum, which garnered 51 percent support.  This money was to be used to construct much needed new schools in West Fargo.  The districted needed 60% of the vote to pass the referendum… It failed.

In October, the board of Independent School District No. 152, Moorhead Area Public Schools, proposed to increase its general education revenue by $850 per pupil.   This referendum would have gone toward keeping the class sizes down and maintaining current programming.  The need for this arouse because of the changes and reductions of educational funding in the federal government and Minnesota.  The districted needed a simple majority to pass this referendum.  It fell 117 votes short of passing…It failed.

 Finally, this last Tuesday, West Fargo again went to the voters in an attempt to pass a reduced $40 million referendum that would have funded a $30 million high school and $10 million elementary school.  The district again needed 60 percent approval to build new schools. It fell 140 votes short of reaching that…It failed.

 The youth of this area is our future.  They will provide us with tax money in the future.  They will keep our economy striving as they purchase new homes and consume goods in the future.  They will keep the Fargo/Moorhead area going in the future.    Why do we keep letting them down?  We need to show them the support they have earned.  Those of you who are not willing to show them support with your vote should be ashamed of yourselves.