Jaime Herrera-Beutler is the wrong choice for Public Lands commissioner.

Her echoing of timber industry’s corporate lobbyists’ claim that we need to keep clear cutting the state’s last remaining older forests to fund schools is nonsense. Today, logging revenues fund only 1.5 % of yearly school construction costs and only 1/10th of 1% of K-12 operating costs. Obviously, we need to fund our schools with stable and predictable general tax dollars, particularly our rural districts, and end the pretense that a small amount of logging revenue is a real answer. It’s time to reject the timber industry’s self-serving idea that we must destroy our remaining mature forests, which are our best natural climate solutions, to deliver an infinitesimal amount to schools.

Candidate Dave Upthegrove knows we need real solutions for our schools and is committed to working to meaningfully address these issues. Vote for a candidate who will stop pitting our school children against their environment.

GEORGE BURAZER

Lacey