Letters to the editor
Can’t spell support without “S”
Dear Editor:
As a property owner, longtime Mammoth Lakes resident and a parent, I support Measure S.
Measure S is a renewal of the $59 per parcel tax that we have paid annually for the last 8 years. With massive state budget cuts to education, our schools, our children and our community depend more than ever on the revenues received from the parcel tax.
Strong schools are the foundation of a healthy community. Our children deserve the best education we can provide. Our community deserves quality schools, to help support our fiscal and economic health. Our schools can only provide a solid education if we have funds for academic programs, books and supplies, smaller class sizes, music and arts programs, technology, highly qualified teachers and athletics.
As a community, will we allow our Mammoth schools to become second-rate institutions? Will we shortchange our students? Will we abandon our responsibility to provide a strong education for the next generation? Will we jeopardize our standing as a first-rate community, attractive to professionals, employees and home buyers? I don’t think so.
I have hope and faith that on Nov. 8, the voters of Mammoth Lakes will come out and support our schools. Vote YES on S Nov. 8.
Claudia Silverman
Mammoth Lakes
More “Yes” on “S” …
Dear Editor:
I am writing to urge Mammoth voters to extend the school parcel tax this Nov. 8 by voting YES on Measure S. This renewal of Measure S provides $660,000 per year over a five year period for only a $59 per parcel contribution by property owners within the school district.
The schools have already experienced a drastic $911,000 reduction in programs and services because of state budget cuts and more are looming.
For the last eight years, voters have given a vote of confidence to the children, teachers and parents of our town — saying that they are willing to sacrifice $1.13 a week so that students have smaller class sizes, adequate textbooks and materials, libraries with appropriate supervision, and technology. The students have responded by achieving. Two of our three schools have been named California Distinguished Schools in the last four years.
Last year, two of the three reached the highly-desired 800 score on the state’s Academic Performance Index, and the third school is in the high 700s. These are scores that indicate high quality — schools as great as our mountains.
There are second homeowners out there who may say that $59 a year is too much to contribute to quality schools, when they do not have children in the schools. But we, the full time residents of this community, know what a wonderful investment that $59 per parcel renewal provides.
What I admire and cherish about our town is how we rally around and support one of our own when they are ill, injured, grieving or in financial distress. The students of our district will suffer if this $660,000 in revenue is taken away. Please join me in renewing this measure and keeping our schools financially secure — vote YES on Measure S this Nov. 8!
Gloria Vasquez
Retired MMS Principal & Current School Board Member
