GRAND RAPIDS -- Do Herald readers know about the Clean Water, Land & Legacy constitutional amendment that Minnesotans will be voting on Nov. 4?
A few folks such as former Republican Sen. Rod Grams misleadingly call it a pot of money for special interest groups to play with. Nothing could be further from the truth - unless, of course, you consider yourself and your children and grandchildren as special interest groups.
What Grams refuses to mention is that of Minnesota's tested waters, 40 percent are listed as impaired or polluted. The Minnesota Legislature refuses to provide the necessary dollars to clean things up. In fact, Minnesota is at a 30-year low in conservation funding from the Legislature, with no evidence of any political will by politicians to correct it.
No one likes taxes. But without this amendment, Minnesota's natural resources will be in very serious trouble.
I care about clean water to drink, clean lakes and streams to swim in and plentiful game and fish to pursue. I care about whether Minnesota's natural resources will be available for my children's children to enjoy and take care of. I care about the present and the future.
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So, I plan to vote yes on Nov. 4. I urge Herald readers to do the same.
Unfortunately, nearly 50 percent of Minnesota residents still don't realize that they'll be asked to vote on the Clean Water, Land & Legacy amendment -- or that if they leave the box blank, the state will count their vote as a "no."
If Herald readers feel like me; if they care about the future of Minnesota's natural resources and agree that this is an investment worth paying for; then I urge them to talk to their neighbors, friends and family.
Vote for the Minnesota we all love. Vote yes Nov. 4 and urge others to do the same.
Mark William Johnson
Johnson is executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
