“Taxes are what we pay for civilization,” and nowhere are our collective contributions to American society more important than in educating and preparing our children to lead us to the future. Public education is the foundation on which the future of our nation and our neighborhoods are built.

Sadly, an angry and vocal minority is working across the country, and yes, even here in Oregon to defund our public schools under the banner of “school choice” and to deny our teachers the ability to help our children learn to think critically and thoughtfully about our history and the sciences.

Think on this as you make your choices in the upcoming election. Only one Senate candidate is endorsed by the Oregon Education Association. Only one is a working mother who had to navigate the challenge of helping her kids learn through the pandemic. Only one promises to fully fund public education and not divert your tax dollars to private schools and fringe religious academies.

Melissa Busch is my choice as our next state senator from the North Coast. Melissa Busch will be a strong advocate for children, parents and our teachers. Now more than ever, we need representatives that will stand up for our public schools. Melissa Busch is the only Senate candidate who will do just that.

Jeff Denny 

Astoria