Letter of the day: Ambitious governor continues to shortchange state's schools

Minnesota school districts have been shortchanged and hurting financially for at least a decade now, largely due to being used as a political football. In spite of it, the wonderful teachers and administrators in the schools have continued to do their best job teaching our kids and doing it remarkably well considering the odds against them. Now Gov. Tim Pawlenty is once again threatening to yank the rug out from under the schools ("State may force school districts to lend it money for bills," Jan. 14). When the "grownups" in charge of the money stoop to raiding the kids' piggy banks, there is an obvious problem. Oh, Mr. World-Traveling Governor, where is all that wonderful money you have "saved" us in Minnesota through your many years of hardhearted fiscal responsibility? Minnesota is in the worst shape it has been in for a long time, and many, many of its people are seriously hurting. The food shelves, the social services, the people and agencies who care -- are all facing a tsunami of legitimate need, right here in our neck of the woods. Do you even care? Or is Minnesota just a stepping stone for higher aspirations? We are getting very tired of your footprint on our backs, Gov. Pawlenty. You would rather steal funds from the schools than borrow it from the banks because that would cause a blemish on your "spotless" record. CATHERINE RITCHIE, BLOOMINGTON