Davison earns thanks

Educators such as Jim Davison leave a lasting mark on their schools. Davison has been a principal at Fairmont elementary schools for the past 30 years. He will retire soon.

Davison’s longevity has allowed him to help shape the district’s approach to education for decades, but it is not just his tenure that matters. His professional and positive approach has had the most impact.

Many students will remember “Mr. Davison” for good reason. He did all he could for them in ways serious and fun. We wish him the best.

Due diligence needed

We know Martin County officials will be keeping a close eye on the County Attorney’s Office in coming weeks and months. We trust they will make sure that undue costs and burdens will not arise to create chaos where none existed prior.

The County Attorney is weighing several contract jobs these days, with the cities of Truman and Fairmont. The county should not take on new work without appropriate funding from those two entities. It is not fair to county taxpayers to absorb the costs and not fair to county prosecutors to absorb the work. Fairmont’s problem, after all, was created unnecessarily.

Wrapping up session

Minnesota lawmakers were finalizing budget bills on Friday as this was being written. The broader budget deal was worked out earlier in the week, with the state planning to spend $48 billion over the next two years, a 6 percent increase.

The budget does not, thankfully, include a 20-cent hike the state gas tax, as had been sought by Gov. Tim Walz. It does increase spending too much, though, as Walz and other Democrats wanted. Middle class taxpayers will see some relief, however.

As is typical, it took a special session to wrap things up, but lawmakers did find a compromise they could live with.

Farmers back Trump

U.S. farmers are not thrilled with President Trump’s trade war with China, especially since the Chinese reneged during negotiations and sent the trade talks into a downward spiral. Yet farmers, for the most part, are still standing behind Trump, knowing he is doing the right thing.

China is a trade cheater, a currency manipulator and a thief of intellectual property. It also represses its people. Decades of hopes that it will change its ways have not worked. Trump is taking a tougher approach, imposing tariffs. In the meantime, Trump has proposed a relief package for farms. It is the cost of a just (trade) war.