Registered Member #88 Joined: Sat Oct 28 2006, 07:34PM : Posts: 1070
Portia, you pointed out all of the fine and noble arguments for Measure M. But I'm afraid you made an incorrect assumption of those who are vocally against it. We are not "against ANY measure that increases taxes". We are against any measure that attempts to tax us twice for the same services. We already pay taxes for schools, period. School district officials, and those who support Measure M, would make much better use of their time and energy to go after Sacramento to cut loose the funds already collected via property taxes and which they are legally entitled to receive. Band together with other school districts and descend on the Capitol steps en masse to claim your funds. I guarantee you'll see legislatures cave in when there are tens of thousands of civil protesters on the nightly news. In my opinion, going the bond measure route to simply hit the taxpayers again is cowardly and doomed to fail. I'll be surprised if it garners even a simple majority, let alone a two-thirds majority it needs. When it fails, I hope the district turns its attention to fighting Sacramento, like it should have done in the first place. The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. - Eccl 10:2 NRA Life Member. Because an armed man is a citizen and a disarmed man is a subject. May your path be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.
Registered Member #110 Joined: Tue Oct 31 2006, 12:51PM : Posts: 2251
"I have not commented on this thread because I believe that debating with anyone for whom "no new taxes, ever" is a mantra akin to The Lord's Prayer is a waste of time and effort but this is a public forum and I would hate to see any one who, like me, is a casual reader, leave misinformed."
Johnny T has replied to your letter quite concisely. I will just add my comments to some of yours.
"The "well oiled machine" seems to comprise about 20 teachers, parents, aides and their kids. They had a sign painting party at Meadow Park where they painted signs from a prepared template."
It takes quite some money for the signs and the hardware that it takes to freely support these signs. The material used for the signs appears to be of high quality. This does take a good organization that, as you stated, had meetings and such. Plus the fact they seem to have the support of the Grizzly, via front page news and color picture. Hence, well-oiled machine.
"The T shirts were donated to those who volunteered their time and effort in an attempt to start a dialogue on the issue."
T shirts, regardless of the donation, still are not free. Again, takes money to pay for these. Part of the machine.
"As for your signs, Mr. Szabo, I don't know who is taking them down. Measure M volunteers were emphatically told not to remove any signs. I suppose there might be a renegade among them who chose not to play nicely but it's not a communist conspiracy to deprive you of your 1st Amendment Rights."
Well, now, I don't know who is taking them down either. I did not say there was a conspiracy, please re-read my comments. Silencing the oppostion is a very typical socialist tactic. I don't know this person, I am just trying to figure out why he/she would be doing this. Was he/she a bully when younger? Is this person that hell-bent on passing this measure? Is this person an actual socialist? Who knows? Also, one is limited to 250 words within a letter to the editor. One has to make their point without really explaining themselves thoroughly. This tearing down of signs happened with the Prop. 8 up here also, glad they got caught on that issue. In my comments I am calling on ALL sides to simply respect one's 1st amendment rights. Plain and simple.
I specifically did NOT want to debate whether or not Measure M is a bad idea, within my comments in the Grizzly. Many others have done a great job of that already, both here and in past issues of the Grizzly, via a letter to the editor. Now if the machine wanted to go to Sacramento and protest on the steps of the capitol, sign me up for a donation. Hopefully this letter explains my position a little more clearer. Shut Up and Fish!
Registered Member #659 Joined: Sat Sep 15 2007, 01:32PM : Posts: 8634
I am pretty much a "no new taxes" guy for the reason that Mt Man is against W. I believe the teacher may be getting the shaft from the State, and the administration. Just like when they promised lottery money income would go to the schools. Which I am sure they did. But the State took an equal or greater amount out of the school budget so while it may have sounded like a good deal it really wasn't. Like all administrations the schools are top heavy with too many chiefs and they pay for it by ripping off the indians. I would bet the teachers union footed the bill for the signs and the yes on M campaign. By the way while it may not have made a big difference in the short game we told you not to elect Brown.........again Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
"I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same"
WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!
Registered Member #191 Joined: Tue Dec 05 2006, 06:43AM : Posts: 1815
I did my job and paid my property taxes. The spending habits need to be fixed first before I throw more in. FIX the spending not pay for it twice No More "Americans were so tired of being thought of as dumbasses by the rest of the world, that some went to the election polls the last presidential election and removed all doubt."
"Never let a serious crisis go to waste.
Obama is currently in his fifth year of campaigning and speechmaking, which is considerably easier than being president. All it takes is a good writer, a teleprompter, a few lies and the ability to cry “wolf” every month or so.
I do not have children in Bear Valley Unified and own multiple properties. I voted for Measure M today. This article gives another perspective on why we need to rally together to pass this measure:
For 16 years, I have been a highly successful classroom teacher. Nonetheless, last year I was completely laid off by Bear Valley Unified School District, and told that I had no hope of being rehired, not this year, not next year. It has been a devastating and difficult time for me. I have been searching full-time for another teaching job, off the hill, even out of state. Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, and Montana and no one has anything. When it comes to education, we truly are in depressing times.
A seven-year-old cannot redo being seven. Just like each of us, they get one chance at being seven, and then, ready or not, they become eight. No matter how bad the experience they had at school, no matter how much they needed a teacher’s individual attention, they will not be able to wait to be eight. Every lousy school year leaves gaps where the students will not be ready for the school work of later years. This generation of students is being cheated, cheated by politicians who are not willing to get the money into education to provide the good education children deserve. This is why I support Measure M. At least the community of Big Bear has enough sense to see that something must be done to protect these students from destructive cuts that will change their education forever. Current students cannot wait around for politicians and the public to negotiate how to pay to educate them. By the time this mess is finally figured out, most will be out of school. Their lives will never recover.
Measure M will probably not give me back my job, but it could save many other teachers from my troubles. More importantly, it will prevent our students in Bear Valley from having a terrible school year. The cuts planned in the State for next year will damage our valley’s children.
I can move off the hill and get a job out of education to solve my problems. Fifth graders living in Big Bear today have no such choice. They must go to school. Let’s provide them with the best we can. When you think of the huge difference Measure M will make for the children, the cost is honestly not that much money out of pocket. I hope the residents of Bear Valley can come together and provide for our community’s children. People who won’t vote yes on Measure M really can’t claim to care about children.
Composed by Susan Maya (just one of the many talented and dedicated laid off teachers of BVUSD)
got my ballot yesterday and voted NO. why because if they would learn to spend in budget like you and me they would have the money when needed and where needed. Wheres all the money that the lotto was supposed to SUPPLEMENT not replace? How (and this does not surprise me) did the state spend the 9/11 scholarship money on the sinking ship budget of this state? I don’t need your attitude thanks, I have one of my own!
Registered Member #536 Joined: Thu Aug 23 2007, 04:40PM : Posts: 274
I don't have a dog in this fight since I no longer live in California, BUT....
I totally agree that every entity needs to figure out where to cut the fat in order to live within their budget. The taxpayers CANNOT afford to subsidize every entity that decides they need more money to meet their individual needs. We're being nickled and dimed to death! Should our families go hungry, so that the schools and all the other entities can meet their budgets? That is what's happening!
And please don't tell me that there is no fat in their budgets! From the top to the bottom, cuts need to be made, belts needs to be tightened, frills need to be dropped - and yes, that includes any sports programs, music programs and anything else that isn't required to teach our children reading, writing, and arithmetic! If you want your child to excel in some other area, then pay for it yourself.
Registered Member #1758 Joined: Mon Feb 16 2009, 06:17AM : Posts: 302
Johnny T stated what has been on my mind. Focus on Sacramento, push our representatives. File injunctions, whatever. Any senior citizen so kind to vote for it may change their mind when they realize they need to apply by June 1st EVERY year for their exemption. Fill out a form stating they are still a senior. Duhhh!!! I got my ballot today. It goes in the mail tomorrow. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and will never be.” Thomas Jefferson
Measure M
- thats what i feel like today
LL