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SCHOOL LEVY REFERENDA

Districts have no choice

With so much angst among the public regarding public school referenda this fall, I am hopeful that our state leaders will hear the call for education funding reform.

Imagine if districts chose not to renew or seek new levy authority and simply cut the budget by closing schools, increasing class sizes, eliminating programs and extending transportation distances to 2 miles before bus pickup? I wonder what e-mails and phone calls legislators would receive. Unfortunately, public education is the only governmental entity that must ask for money to operate.

I'm growing frustrated by fighting the good fight and defending the job school districts are supposed to do: educating the populace. Sometimes it feels like school districts are the target for the action, or inaction, of the Legislature and are left defending every detail in daily operations, spending hours doing it, and taking the heat for implied incompetency. Until the state legislates a different way to fund education, we have no choice but to go to voters for levy referenda approval.

Something has to change.

KIM GREEN, MAPLE GROVE;

VICE CHAIR, OSSEO SCHOOL BOARD

THE TUTU TUMULT

Now a personnel issue

So Archbishop Desmond Tutu refuses to speak at St. Thomas unless Prof. Cris Toffolo is reinstated in the job of director of the school's peace and justice studies. What's next? Will Tutu -- er, Toffolo -- demand the head of academic dean Dr. Thomas Rochon for replacing her?

JACK MCHugh, Edina

HOUSING CRISIS

An ethics tutorial

As the executive officer of a small community bank, I am not overly surprised by the housing crisis. We have seen it coming for years as some mortgage lenders compromised loan standards to earn that commission.

Our residential lending staff has always paid attention to the ability to repay the loan, paying particular attention to the percent of income required to service the real-estate loan and the total required to service all debt payments. We have also looked to our real-estate appraisers to provide a realistic appraisal of the home. Many times, the loan officer also has to be a counselor and help the customer recognize the financial ramifications of the debt that is going to be incurred. We want our borrowers to be our customers beyond just obtaining a real-estate loan.

Many mortgage companies and nonbank lenders hire only commissioned loan officers who are not highly trained and who have been willing to compromise standards in order to close a loan (the only way a commission is earned). These individuals also know that most likely they will never have to deal with that customer again. Today, real-estate companies, builders and developers have their own mortgage companies. Most of these companies are honest and maintain high standards. Others, however, have been willing to do just about anything to close a loan.

The housing crisis may also point out the need to provide more financial education for all citizens. At some point, however, consumers have to take responsibility for their own decisions. Likewise, we need to teach ethics in every class from kindergarten through high school.