Any resemblance between U.

Friday, April 28, 2000

Any resemblance between U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, the "education senator," and Mike Ciresi is purely coincidental.

Wellstone has laid claim to the unofficial title of "education senator," since he took office, but that doesn’t mean education is his issue alone.

Ciresi, whose law firm was retained by the Minnesota attorney general’s office to successfully seek the settlement with tobacco companies, is seeking the DFL party’s endorsement to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Rod Grams, a Republican, and the education issue is where the Democrat is cutting his teeth in his campaign debut.

"When we invest in children early and start them out on the right track, we improve society immeasurably," Ciresi said. "Investments in education help to level the playing field for everyone by increasing wages and opportunities later in life.

"We should stop thinking just in terms of K-12 education and realize we need to encourage lifelong learning," he said.

Armed with two pages of attacks on Grams’ record on education, Ciresi visited Austin on Thursday.

According to Ciresi, Grams voted against funding to put 100,000 teachers in the classroom and provide $5 billion over five years for school construction in March.

Also, Grams voted on the Senate budget committee to spend $1.2 billion on tax-free savings accounts for school tuition or other education expenses instead of teacher training programs.

And, Grams voted to table or kill an amendment that would provide about $25 billion in tax credits for public school modernization bonds.

That was just in one month’s time – March.

Looking further back doesn’t make Grams’ record any better, Ciresi said, adding that Grams’ rankings by the U.S. Student Association, American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association (1995-99) has placed him no higher than a 10 percent approval rating.

Ciresi’s plan targets reduction in class size, teacher training, improving facilities and enhanced technology, as well as after-school programs and access to higher education.

Not mincing words, Ciresi said a Ciresi-vs.-Grams campaign begs the question: "Do we still want to reinvest in each other or the GOP’s tax cuts?"

As the debate continues on how to spend or invest the nation’s surplus (ranging in estimates from $780 billion to $1.8 trillion), Ciresi’s mind is made up: the GOP’s proposed tax cuts could pull the financial rug out from under important programs unless the revenue losses are made up and more taxes are not an option.

According to the Democrat, the nation’s wealthy benefit the most by tax cuts and "They don’t need it."

Thus, Ciresi would invest a portion of the federal revenue surplus in bolstering education in America.

He said the surplus is a "historic opportunity to reinvest in each other for the common good."

Ciresi wants to debate education and other issues with Grams and he said he is not afraid that the period of high employment, a strong economy and generally good times will go ignored by voters this year.

"The true mark of any institution, any government, any country is how well it does in times of prosperity," the Democrat said, adding that it is easy and necessary in times of adversity to rally together, but tempting to do nothing in times of prosperity.

"The question we are going to have to ask ourselves is what kind of sacrifices are we willing to make to help others that our parents and grandparents made to help us?" he said.