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Letter: Former trustee thanks Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA for his service

Former Weyburn school trustee Dana Pretzer shares his thoughts about MLA Dustin Duncan announcing he will not run for office in the provincial elections this fall.
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MLA Dustin Duncan announced he will not run again, ending an 18-year career as MLA, 15 of those years in cabinet, representing Weyburn-Big Muddy.

A recent announcement by Dustin Duncan that he won’t be running for Weyburn Big Muddy in the upcoming election was not a total shock but makes me want to say this: Thank you, Dustin!

Thank you for doing what you were elected to do – represent the people! I always found you approachable, not arrogant and genuinely concerned about doing what’s right.

That being said, the provincial government has started to sputter on the issues.

We have to support our teachers, that’s a no brainer. We have the best of the best teaching our kids and our kids are our future. In my time as a former school trustee our local board always had to deal with budget cuts, we had to use reserves just to keep going.

That and how local autonomy was stripped from school boards by the government may be a reason we are in the mess we are in now.

School board elections, in this community especially, if they are not tagged on to a municipal election, have a dismal voter turn out.

So, with an election coming up and some very important issues in education on the table, I’m really hoping the people will respond at the voters’ booth.

I guess we shall see.

Dana Pretzer, Weyburn