Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Earlier this month, I wrote about the public school mill levy in Great Falls (MT) with a column titled, “$1.01 a Month.” If the voters approved the levy, it would cost about a dollar and a penny per month on a home with taxable value of $100,000.

I said, it all boils down to this: Do you support public education or not? It really is that simple. I looked at the mill levy request as an investment in the future.

The voters in Great Falls said a resounding “NO” to that question yesterday. The public schools mill levy failed pretty badly 55% to 45%. There were 17,319 votes cast for a 48% voter turnout, which is shameful.

Of course, the folks who opposed the levy had to gloat just a little with this victory. Their victory over children must seem really sweet. The anti-levy folks probably spent a lot more money opposing the levy with ads and glossy fliers in the local newspaper than they would have likely spent if the levy had passed. Continue reading →