endorses S
We should vote for Measure S for many good reasons. When I retired as a judge in 1998, I volunteered some of my time to our school district. In the 16 years I served on the Bench the common denominator of the pitiful people before me was ignorance due to poor education. I wanted in some way to reduce that condition. Consequently, I served on one of the School District’s Oversight Comm-ittees.
Over the years, I learned firsthand more than most citizens know about the District’s finances, school buildings, teachers, students, staff, administrators and especially the wonderfully dedicated parents in the PTAs. I was very impressed with the personal high quality of my fellow committee members and all those in the District whom I came to know. I found that a very few people carried on the daily work and future planning in a commendable manner with few resources. There was no army of overpaid, troublesome bureaucrats, which we are often referred to by the uninformed.
Of key importance in evaluating the quality of education in this District is the amazing donation of time, effort, and money by the many PTA parents and friends. Would that grand contribution by parents, friends and businesses occur if the only goals of the District was to support a teachers union, protect incompetent teachers and produce uneducated students? I think not, and if you think about this, your sound conclusions will put to final rest those vague, tired and rehashed myths and rumors about our District’s public schools.
Our schools are getting better and better and, yes, so are our test scores. In order to retain a quality education for our children at this crisis time, it is critical that Measure S, a $225 parcel tax, be approved. Incidentally, State law allows only a parcel tax to generate revenue for operational budgets for school districts. Square footage, an ad valorum tax, can only be used for construction bond funding. Seniors are often retired and on fixed incomes, therefore, the age 65 exemption, which I am old enough to claim but won’t, is available to any lot owner who occupies a principal residence on that lot and meets the age requirement.
This measure is all about children, tomorrow’s adults, and their place and contribution in years to come. Our nation needs the best upcoming adults. For a small amount we can enhance their growth by voting “yes” on Measure S.
Judge Ralph H. Erickson (Retired)