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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2007
Contact: Phil Krinkie
Ph: (651) 294-3590 ext 202
School district boondoggle goes down
Farmington voters overwhelmingly reject school district’s plan for a $24 million “sports and wellness center”
ST. PAUL – Farmington’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic games officially came to an end Tuesday as voters overwhelmingly defeated the school district’s plan to add a for-profit fitness center to an already bloated $100 million construction budget for a new high school.
The “sports and wellness center,” which would have included an Olympic-size pool, two hockey rinks, tennis courts and a fitness center that would have charged membership fees, was defeated 69% to 31%in a vote that brought out a stunning 40% of the district’s voters.
Opposition to the district’s plan came from a grassroots organization of citizens who launched an impressive informational campaign designed to educate voters about Farmington’s most recent stab at grand larceny.
“Tim Burke and the folks at NoSportsPlex.org really deserve the credit for informing voters about this ridiculous idea,” said Phil Krinkie, president of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota. “How the district was able to misconstrue their mission to educate students into the construction of a for-profit business is beyond belief.”
Following Tim Burke’s appearance on Taxpayers League Live! with David Strom last Saturday, Phil Krinkie also said, “this just confirms that voters know the difference between money for improving educational outcomes and a taxpayer subsidy for a fitness complex.”
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