Letter: 'Who is vetting Yvonne Selcer?'

To the Editor:

Ms. Yvonne Selcer claims her experience as a classroom/special education teacher, combined with her business and school board experience make her the right choice for Eden Prairie.  Outside of her school board service, where she claims to have "saved" the district from financial ruin and return it to financial solvency, exactly what is her experience?

Her campaign website first claimed she was a ‘business executive’ for a company, but did not say which one. Her Facebook page still makes that claim. Then the website changed her experience to ‘sales manager’ for a computer parts firm. Which one? Now, it simply says she helped in her family’s ‘small business.’ WHICH one? WHAT did she do? What IS her teaching, small business and executive business experiences IN? And WHERE did she gain it?

If we are to weigh a candidate’s experiences, shouldn't we know what they are?   What experiences gave her the knowledge to fix the complex financial problems in the Hopkins school district?  What did she do as a business woman that gives her the necessary experience to represent Minnetonka at the state house?

There are decisions she proudly made while on the Hopkins school board.  Such as borrowing money to pay for facilities maintenance (instead of budgeting for it in current operating funds) and ‘pre-funding’ union retirement packages, thereby saddling Hopkins taxpayers each with $3,000 more in debt.  Not really my idea of ‘saving.’ 

If her "business and financial” decisions on the Hopkins school board stand for anything, it’s poor fiscal planning, increased debt and more taxes. That’s not the kind of legislator we should be sending to St. Paul.  

Krisla Berreth, MN GOP SD48 Executive Committee Co-Chair