We All Do Better

Transmission 1001: It’s All Connected

Mar 12, 2005 Energy, News

If you’ve been following the energy theme in this blog, here’s something you might find of interest:

How our transmission grid works and doesn’t work, some pending
infrastructure commitments that shape our energy future, and what
you can do about it, with tips on effective public participation.

Carol A. Overland
Utility Regulatory Attorney

Thursday, March 17 @ 7p

Northfield PPG
313 _ Division, Northfield
(above Jenkins Jewelers)

Utilities would like us to believe we’ll freeze in the dark in an incubator without a job, but they’re now overbuilding infrastructure, at our expense, to gain greater market control and higher profits. Whatever happened to the “public service” in public service corporation? What path are we on if we make billions of dollars in infrastructure commitments that last for 50+ years? Is this our energy future or are we waking to our energy nightmare?

For more information, call Carol A. Overland (507) 664-0252
or email overland@redwing.net

FEEDLOTS AND EAW Requirements

Mar 6, 2005 Agriculture, Environment, News

I received earlier today an update from Charles Skinner concerning the importance of following the rules when it comes to EAW requirements for operation of feedlots over 1000 animal units. Gordon Cumming will present information to the County Board regarding the Boards consideration of a CUP (conditional use permit) request without an EAW (Environmental Assessment Worksheet). Gordon represents the Cannon River Watershed Partnership and therefore represents the interests of the people of Rice County. Some of you may remember this issue came up in the last legislative campaign. The concern here is not that the project should be prohibited but that the conditional use process be conducted in a way that the environment is protected.

It appears the proposed 3,300 finishing hog feedlot in Wheeling Township will be approved without an EAW being done for it. There is a discrepancy in animal unit (au)designation for a finishing hog feedlot between our county ordinance (.4 au per finishing hog equals 1320 au) and state (.3 au per finishing hog equals 990 au). The State says feedlots of 1000 au and up must have an EAW, so the producer is hoping the State (.3) will override the county ordinance. Federal designation, is .4. and if the project applies for a federal permit (NPDES for 1000 au and over)then perhaps that would override the State. But environmental review must come BEFORE any permit is given when there is still time to make changes to the plan.

The Planning Commission held a hearing (only near neighbors received a notice) on Feb. 17. The EAW should have been mandatory. It should still be done due to the problem that the proposed development is near a waterway that runs to the Zumbro River, which is impaired.

Here is Charley’s note:

Hi Friends,
Below is an important and urgent message about an imminent feedlot issue, regarding matters of concern to residents everywhere in Rice County

Gordon Cumming from CRWP (Cannon River Watershed Partnership) will be going to the County Board, Tuesday morning at 8:30, March 8, to present concerns about the consequences of a feedlot for the Cannon River Watershed, including the Cannon River itself. So this could have consequences for anyone interested in the health of the river and the watershed.

I encourage as many of you as possible to show up to show your support of Gordon and his presentation.
Thanks,

Charley

Following is the information from: Gordon Cumming
Subject: EAW Requirements for operation over 1000 AU

Dear Commissioners,

It has recently been brought to the attention of CRWP that the Rice County Commissioners intend to grant/pass a CUP request allowing construction and operation of a 1,320 AU hog operation in Wheeling Township without requiring an Environmental Assessment Worksheet.

The intent of my email is not to halt the intended operator from constructing and running the intended operation. It is to inform the commissioners of the “triggers” in place that require proper review of the potential impacts and vetting of those impacts prior to awarding a permit.

In reviewing the Rice County Feedlot Ordinance, and other documents, I have provided the following excerpts:

SECTION 727 GENERAL PROVISIONS
– 727.001 Jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of this Ordinance shall apply to all the areas of Rice County outside the incorporated limits of municipalities.

727.003 Application.
a. In their interpretation and application, the provisions of this Ordinance shall be held to be the minimum requirements to satisfy the Intent and Purpose of this Ordinance.
b. Where the conditions imposed by any provision of this Ordinance are either more restrictive or less restrictive than comparable conditions imposed by any other law, ordinance, statute, resolution, or regulation of any kind, the regulations which are more restrictive or which impose higher standards or requirements shall prevail.

728.004 Animal Unit (AU). A unit of measure used to compare differences in the production of animal manures that employs as a standard the amount of manure produced on a regular basis by a slaughter steer or heifer. For purposes of this ordinance, the following equivalents shall apply:
– one swine 55 pounds or more .4 (which is equal to 250 animals)

Here are some concerns about why Rice County MUST require an EAW

The most basic is Rice Ordinance, 727.003(b) requiring the county to use the more restrictive or higher standard regardless of other standards, and according to 728.004 Animal Units (AU) Rice county has a .4 multiplier.

Others include:
These are excerpts from the state “simple” feedlot ordinance book.

The federal animal-unit values for several animal types are different than those listed in this Minnesota rule. If changes are needed to meet federal requirements, owners will be required to meet the requirements for the federal animal-unit values. For example, a swine finishing operation having 900 animal units (based on 0.3 animal units per swine, the Minnesota rule) would have to apply for and obtain an NPDES permit if federal requirements require Minnesota to apply the 0.4 animal unit value. If the change is required, the new animal-unit total for the site would be 1,200 animal units (REVISED FEEDLOT RULES AT A GLANCE, Minnesota Rules chapter 7020, pg. 2).

“A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit or State Disposal System (SDS) permit is required for all feedlots with 1,000 animal units or more” (REVISED FEEDLOT RULES AT A GLANCE, Minnesota Rules chapter 7020, pg. 5).

Reasons why and EAW may be required
“An Environmental Assessment Worksheet. (EAW) may be prepared for two reasons. Most are required by mandatory categories in the rules, which cover projects of a nature, size, or location which “may have the potential for significant environmental effects” Other EAWs are ordered by governmental units either on their own initiative or as a result of a citizen petition when the facts indicate the project “may have the potential for significant environmental effects.”

While it is not determined, either 3,300 or 1,320 swine may have the potential to impact the air, and or water quality in Rice County.

Why we have/use Environmental Review:
“Environmental Review is intended to be used as an information source in the decision-making processes. In order to serve its purpose, Environmental Review must be built into decision-making processes at an early stage, before approvals are given for the project. For this reason, the rules prohibit governmental units from making a final decision to grant any permit or approval necessary until the Environmental Review is completed. However, decisions to deny permits can be made before Environmental Review is completed since these decisions stop the project and eliminate the need for Environmental Review.”

Another note on why in this case an EAW is mandatory.

MN Rules, (reference Rule number pulled from Rice Ordinance)
4410.1000 PROJECTS REQUIRING AN EAW.
Subpart 1. Purpose of an EAW. The EAW is a brief document prepared in worksheet format which is designed to rapidly assess the environmental effects which may be associated with a proposed project. The EAW serves primarily to:

A. aid in the determination of whether an EIS is needed for a proposed project; and

B. serve as a basis to begin the scoping process for an EIS.

Subp. 2. Mandatory EAW categories. An EAW shall be prepared for any project that meets or exceeds the thresholds of any of the EAW categories listed in part 4410.4300 or any of the EIS categories listed in part 4410.4400.

4410.4300 MANDATORY EAW CATEGORIES.
Subp. 29. Animal feedlots. The PCA is the RGU for the types of projects listed in items A and B unless the county will issue the feedlot permit, in which case the county is the RGU. However, the county is not the RGU prior to January 1, 2001.

A. For the construction of an animal feedlot facility with a capacity of 1,000 animal units or more or the expansion of an existing facility by 1,000 animal units or more if the facility is not in an area listed in item B.

When reviewing and combining the above data and requirements, and information provided on your agenda the following seem clear:

– Rice County ordinance requires the use of the MORE restrictive standards (727.003 Application.), and that standard is .4 for swine over 55 lb (728.004 Animal Unit (AU)
– EQB documents Table 1 above indicates that a NEW operation with 1000 AU or more requires an EAW.
– In addition this operator MUST apply and obtain an NPDES, and possible and SDS permit to operate.
– State rules above require them as well.

An Ignorant People Cannot Remain a Free People

Mar 6, 2005 Education, News

To quote Michael Ventura, “Sam Adams, like many of our founders, believed democracy would flourish ‘as long as education was extended to the masses.’ An ignorant people cannot remain a free people.”

No Child Left Behind the President’s unprecedented education policy remains the focus of much debate across the country. This was no exception at the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs annual conference in Duluth.

The keynote speaker was William Cala, Supt. of the Fairport, New York School District. He supports the idea of a national diploma based on demonstrated proficiency, not test scores. He has gotten the attention of the Economic Policy Institute and regularly is quoted on Susan Ohanion’s website as well as Alfie Kohn’s, both past speakers at IALA (International Association for Learning Alternatives) conferences. He strongly criticized No Child Left Behind as a failed policy highly destructive to schools and kids.

My friend Steve Allen and I gave a presentation on surviving change in tumultuous times.

Much of what we talked about drew upon the work of Charles Handy and Carl Jung. But we also talked about our own experience and dialogued with participants about the struggles they faced in their schools with difficult economic times for schools. It seems under the current administration there is declining support for different approaches to working with disengaged students.

An interesting presenter is Joe Graba of Education/Evolving and Senior Policy Fellow at Hamline University, who argues that the biggest mistake politicians make when attempting to implement reform is that they mistake what is a design problem for what they believe to be a performance problem. Our current system was not designed to accomplish the goals of NCLB and doing more of the same will not bring us closer to meeting them. Joe’s research leads him to the conclusion that it’s nearly impossible to reform the current system from within. He believes that experiments away from and outside of the traditional setting need to be encouraged and given the autonomy and resources to succeed.

Joe’s career in public education spans forty years and an impressive array of leadership positions. Education/Evolving’s thinking on system questions and legislative policy are influenced greatly by Joe’s ability to integrate knowledge gained as a high school teacher, union leader, state legislator and administrator influencing a variety of education committees, national education committee member, and a higher education administrator.

Tom Keating, Minnesota’s 2004 teacher of the year gave a keynote address on Friday, and urged all of us to continue to fight for our students and reach out to those often left behind. I had the pleasure this last week to meet with Tom and his staff from Montecello.

Four past presidents of MAAP joined Wayne Jennings current Board Chair of the International Association of Learning Alternatives(IALA) to discuss the necessity of national voice for education reform. Dan Daly cited Bill Gates – new three ‘R’s, the basic building blocks of better high schools:

- The first ‘R’ is Rigor – making sure all students are given a challenging curriculum that prepares them for college or work;
- The second ‘R’ is Relevance – making sure kids have courses and projects that clearly relate to their lives and their goals;
- The third ‘R’ is Relationships – making sure kids have a number of adults who know them, look out for them, and push them to achieve.

In a recent speech to the governor’s association, called “High Schools are Obsolete” Gates added, “The three ‘R’s are almost always easier to promote in smaller high schools. The smaller size gives teachers and staff the chance to create an environment where students achieve at a higher level and rarely fall through the cracks. Students in smaller schools are more motivated, have higher attendance rates, feel safer, and graduate and attend college in higher numbers.” Unfortunately the only R the governor’s seemed able to focus on was Rigor. Rigor that is in the form of testing.

We also let people know about the upcoming Annual IALA conference, “We Were Meant to Fly” is scheduled for April 6-8 this year at the Sullivan Brothers Center in Waterloo, Iowa.

If you are interested in attending here is a registration from and conference brochure.

For conference info and lodging click here.
You may wish to visit the IALA website updated by Wayne Jennings, his blog has great information about education from across the country.

IALA is an organization dedicated to promoting innovation and reform in education, with the goal of meeting the needs of all learners. We echoe Joe Graba’s concern that too many think the problems of our education system have to do with accountability and testing, when what is needed is the recognition that not all students need the same kind of schools. We believe many models including schools as they currently exist should be encouraged, not a retreat to ‘one shoe fits all’ method promoted by conservative reformers.

I was alarmed by discovering a recent reprint from the Austin Chronicle in the City Pages called
Slippage by Michael Ventura, no relation to Jesse I understand.

Ignorance is…. A) Guaranteed by the Bill Of Rights; B) Evidence that our schools are working; C) Bliss

Statistics on American education tell a dreadful story, the story of an advanced technological society slipping back to a state of ignorance and superstition. If that sentence seems extreme, consider these facts:

- The United States once ranked first in the world in high school graduation rates. We have slipped to 17th (the New York Times, Feb. 1).
- Respect for the free exchange of ideas is dimming among our young. USA Today, Jan. 31: “One in three United States high school students say the press ought to be more restricted, and even more thought the government should approve newspaper stories before people read them.” Which means that our Bill of Rights often is taught poorly or not at all–a very dangerous sign for the future of our liberties.
- The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
- We rank 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
- “Our students, a new report has found, are lagging far behind the pace set by scientific whiz kids in Europe and Asia, and the number of Americans choosing science as a career continues to dwindle” (Los Angeles Times, quoted in The Week, Jan. 14).
- One-third of our biology teachers support the teaching of creationism or “intelligent design” (NYT, Feb. 1). Creationism is religious dogma, contradicting literally tons of data. “Intelligent design” claims that the universe was created or designed by a higher order of intelligence–a claim that cannot be tested, and therefore is not science and doesn’t belong in a science class. When scientists use the word “theory,” they don’t mean a hunch or supposition; the scientific use of the word, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “a hypothesis that has been confirmed or established by observation and experiment . . . accounting for the known facts.” All science is incomplete because “the known facts” are incomplete. There nevertheless are many known facts, millions of them, that demonstrate the evolution of life from simple to complex organisms over eons of time. Yet one-third of our biology teachers don’t accept this—a willful ignorance among educators found nowhere else in the developed world.
The result:
- “Only 35 percent of Americans accept Darwin’s theory of evolution, while 45 percent prefer the creationist view” (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
- “In other industrialized countries…80 percent or more typically accept evolution, most of the others say they are not sure, and very few people reject the idea outright” (NYT, Feb. 1).
- Sixty-one percent of Americans “believe the biblical story of creation is literal truth” (ABC, World News Tonight With Peter Jennings, Jan. 18).
- Forty-three states have debated teaching evolution in the last three years (ABC, World News Tonight With Peter Jennings, Jan. 18).
- Surveys show that many high school science teachers simply skip lessons on evolution, even when the material is in their textbooks, for fear of controversy. This self-censorship is widespread, especially in the South, Midwest, and West (NYT, Feb. 1). An interesting note: Two popes, Pius XII and John Paul II, have stated that evolution and religion are compatible; the surveys found no dodging of evolution in Catholic schools.
- “Scriptural literalists are moving beyond evolution to challenge the teaching of geology and physics” (NYT, Feb. 1).
- Bill Moyers reports “nearly half the U.S. Congress…231 legislators in total…are backed by the religious right. Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th Congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian rights advocacy groups” (AlterNet.org, Dec. 8, 2004). Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, in a statement supporting “intelligent design,” stated that evolution is one of the “big social issues of our time,” equal to abortion and gay marriage (Newsweek, Feb. 7).
- The Christian right’s influence in Congress is no doubt the source of headlines like this: “Money to Fix Space Telescope May Be Cut by House” (NYT, Jan. 23). The Hubble is our most successful space project to date. Many of its findings contradict biblical myth. The Hubble “established the age of the universe at 13 billion years…. Every week, [the Hubble transmits] about 120 gigabytes of data…the equivalent of 36,500 feet of books on a shelf. More than 2,600 scientific papers based on these findings have been published so far” (The Week, Jan. 21). The Hubble will fall in 2006 if not repaired. That won’t sadden the Christian right.
- Hostility to science exists at the highest levels of our government. “With rising intensity, scientists in and out of government have criticized the Bush administration, saying it has selected or suppressed research findings to suit preset policies, skewed advisory panels or ignored unwelcome advice, and quashed discussion within federal research agencies” (NYT, Oct. 19, 2004).

These stats combine to paint the portrait of a poorly educated people seeking to compensate for their ignorance with beliefs that spread such ignorance further–while the rest of the developed world laughs in pity or contempt, and leaves us behind . . . From the highest levels of government to the littlest rural school power-savvy factions are spreading an easy-to-digest but ultimately fatal ignorance. Poorly educated, well-intentioned, fearful people, craving order in a chaotic world, are eating it up. They’re no more or less stupid than the well – informed, but they haven’t the resources for research and they’ve no body of knowledge by which to weigh what they’re told. The poorly skilled and scantily educated have nothing to judge information by except whether it satisfies their emotions. If it makes them less afraid, it must be right.

The State of the Economy

Mar 5, 2005 News

The State of the Economy
“The US economy is headed toward crisis, and the political leadership of the country–if it can be called leadership–is preoccupied with nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The US economy is failing. The afflictions are serious. They could be fatal even if diagnosed and treated. America is losing the purchasing power of its currency and its ability to create middle class jobs.”

So writes, Paul Craig Roberts , Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration and coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions in an essay on the Counterpunch website. “The Last Waltz? The Coming End of the American Superpower”

He goes on to say,

The dollar’s sharp decline and projections of continuing trade and budgetary red ink are undermining the dollar’s role as reserve currency . . . Overnight those cheap goods in Wal-Mart, which are the no-think economist’s facile justification for Wal-Mart’s decimation of communities, small businesses and employment, shoot up in price.
Interest rates will escalate as the government struggles to finance its endless red ink. Heavily indebted Americans with adjustable rate mortgages will attempt to sell homes just as rising mortgage rates reduce buyers. Real estate assets, the rising value of, which have been keeping the economy going, will give back gains.
The US has lost its ability to create middle class jobs or for that matter any jobs. During the last four years the US has experienced a net loss of 760,000 private sector jobs (January 2001 – January 2005). Think what this means for graduating classes and people coming of age to enter the work force . . .
Americans unable to find jobs in export and import-competitive sectors find themselves searching for jobs in nontradable domestic services, where their inflow into those labor markets is augmented by illegal immigrants and foreigners on H-1b visas. Obviously, the pressure on wages is downward . . .
The dollars’ decline will drive up the price of all inputs except US labor which is being substituted out of production functions and replaced with foreign labor.
Oblivious to reality, the Bush administration has proposed a Social Security privatization that will cost $4.5 trillion in borrowing over the next 10 years alone! America has no domestic savings to absorb this debt, and foreigners will not lend such enormous sums to a country with a collapsing currency–especially a country mired in a Middle East war running up hundreds of billions of dollars in war debt.
A self-important Washington establishment combined with a globalized corporate mentality have brought an end to America’s rising living standards. America’s days as a superpower are rapidly coming to an end. Isolated by the nationalistic unilateralism of the neoconservatives who control the Bush administration, the US can expect no sympathy or help from former allies and rising new powers.

You may want to read the whole essay, which you can do by visiting the website.

Locally, here’s an interesting response to the Governor’s budget from John Gunyou (click on the title to read the entire commentary. Or visit his website :

Pawlenty pledge simply isn’t a core Minnesota value

Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently characterized his no-tax pledge as a core Minnesota value. That’s troubling.

The Minnesotans I know value other ideals. The no-tax pledge is not among those values.

Nobody likes taxes, but most folks understand they’re the price we have to pay for public investments that enable our state to prosper. They’re how we support the real core values that have served Minnesota so well for more than a century. Here are the five values on my list:

A quality education is the constitutional right of every Minnesotan. . .

Generations of leaders have understood that education is Minnesota’s one true competitive advantage. Yet, that key to our individual and collective futures is being starved a little more every year. We’re like the farmer who decided to save money by feeding his horse less and less each day. The plan was working, but just as he taught the horse not to eat anything at all, the darned thing died.

After several years of stagnant funding, Pawlenty’s latest budget funds our school needs at less than 50 cents on the dollar. As a result, next year’s school property taxes are projected to soar a staggering 23 percent.

Sustainable economic growth is a core value. Minnesota has long served as an economic engine for the Midwest, but our position is weakening.

One-third of our state’s roads are already classified as “too far gone,” because our gas tax has remained stagnant for 17 years. Rather than honestly provide recurring resources, Pawlenty’s transportation plan relies on borrowing — with no real way to pay off the debt. We must adequately fund the public infrastructure necessary to support economic growth and job creation.

Sustainable growth is also dependent on fair and stable taxes, but the governor is so irrationally committed to his no-tax pledge he won’t even reform our volatile tax system on a revenue-neutral basis.

Minnesotans believe in selfless commitment to community. We understand it’s about us, not just about me.

Helping people help themselves is a core Minnesota value. That’s why we enacted historic bipartisan health care and welfare reforms more than a decade ago — reforms that are now being systematically unraveled.

Pawlenty’s last budget forced 10,000 kids off child care, and his latest budget eliminates 1,000 kids a month. His previous budget also lopped 20,000 children and 18,000 adults off health care. Now he’s reneging on his promise to restore medical coverage for those kids, and also cutting another 41,000 workers, parents and others from what he cruelly labels “health care welfare.”

Cutting the legs out from under our working class simply costs us all more in the long run. We must reverse the governor’s shortsighted cuts, and restore the landmark reform we all worked so hard to enact.

Environmental stewardship is a core Minnesota value. We must carefully balance our economic and recreational needs with environmental preservation and public health to sustain our state’s rich natural resources.

Minnesota has still not implemented programs required under the Federal Clean Water Act, which was enacted in the mid-’70s. An estimated 2,000 bodies of water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are listed as impaired.

And finally, fiscal responsibility is a core Minnesota value.

We have a long tradition of honestly balancing budgets, spending smarter and investing in the future. The Pawlenty administration is hacking away at successful programs and mortgaging our future. Debt service climbs an astounding 32 percent in his latest budget.

That’s not what Minnesota is all about. The governor’s no-tax pledge and intergenerational tax shifts are not core Minnesota values.

Education is a core value. Sustainable economic growth is a core value. Helping people help themselves is a core value. A healthy environment is a core value. Leaving our children a better Minnesota is a core value.

These are the real values that make Minnesota the special place I know and love.

On another urgent economic note I received this morning the following message from Working Families e-Activist:

Let’s stop Social Security privatization in its tracks. If enough members of Congress pledge now to oppose Social Security privatization, President Bush’s proposal will be dead on arrival when it gets to Capitol Hill. Please take one minute now to urge your members of Congress to sign the Pledge to Strengthen Social Security and to oppose privatization proposals that would:

- Cut guaranteed benefits.
- Weaken Social Security by diverting money from the Trust Fund to pay for private accounts.
- Explode the federal deficit.
- Possibly increase the retirement age.

Please click the following link now to urge your members of Congress to sign the pledge.

It’s this simple: If enough members of Congress sign the pledge, President Bush’s Social Security privatization plan can’t survive. It won’t be easy, but together we can do this. Your members of Congress were elected to work for you–tell them they must protect your retirement security by opposing privatization.

Every one of us must act to stop privatization and strengthen Social Security because privatization would:
- Cut guaranteed benefits by at least 40 percent–even for people who don’t choose to have private accounts. The average retiree would lose $152,000 in guaranteed benefits.
- Leave many retirees in poverty.
- Add a whopping $4.9 trillion to federal debt in the first 20 years alone.
- Open Social Security up to political corruption and Enron-ization because politicians would choose which Wall Street firms can make billions off the accounts.
- Possibly raise the retirement age.

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
March 2, 2005

Read the Pledge to Strengthen Social Security:

I pledge to the people of my district and to the American people that I will work to strengthen retirement security, including Social Security

I will oppose Social Security privatization proposals that would:

1. Require cuts in guaranteed benefits to pay for private accounts.
2. Weaken the system by diverting money from the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for private accounts.
3. Increase the federal deficit to pay for private accounts.
4. Increase the retirement age.

Visit the Web address to tell your friends about this.

Thousands Rally at Capitol for Education

Mar 1, 2005 Education, News

I stood at the capitol steps with several thousand Minnesota citizens to pursuade the legislature to fairly fund education. It was cold but people were warmed by the passion and outrage of the speakers. Northfield was well represented with the two bus load contingent. I had a good visit with Rep. Patti Fritz from Faribault.

The Minnesota House DFL caucus handed out “Minnesota 20/20″ cards, which said:

Minnesota has always valued adequately and equitably funding our children’s education. We must recommit to a clear vision that strengthens and builds for the future. And so, we propose a change in the Minnesota Constitution.

Article XIII Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a high quality and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions to provide equitable and adequate funding, by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.