Letters to the Editor
Treat education fairly!
Dear Editor:
As I have walked the halls in Sacramento over these past few days, I continue to visit with elected officials who truly care about public education. I believe they realize the importance that a strong public education has on our democracy and the economy but they are unable to agree on how to fix a broken state financial system.
Since 2007-2008, the State has faced budget deficits as large as $25 billion. The State closed these deficits in part by cutting education by $18 billion. Public education accounts for almost 40% of the state budget, yet has absorbed more than 60% of the cuts. California’s schools rank at the very bottom of all 50 states in staff-to-student ratios and California ranks 43rd in the nation in per pupil funding.
The Governor attempts to reverse this trend of consistent cuts to public education by pursuing a public vote for tax increases through a ballot measure. This call for new revenues is imperative because they are needed to maintain core educational programs. A failure to pass the governor’s initiative will result in a $5 billion cut to public schools at the mid-year mark of the 2012-2013 school year.
The Mammoth community rallied this past November and passed a renewal on our flat fee of $59 parcel tax that generates approximately $650,000 per year. The mid-year cuts to public education this past January cost Mammoth $657,000 so the parcel tax was a breakeven point for budget reductions.
So, let’s play out this potentially failed revenue ballot initiative in November, which would cause a $5 billion reduction to public education. The schools would take 90% of the cuts even though education receives far less than 90% of the revenues generated by the initiative. Clearly this is not equitable for public education.
What could this look like for Mammoth Unified? These cuts could be as high as $807 per student, which would cost the district approximately $887,000 in lost revenue. And this would occur in January 2013, which means that we need to budget for that potential reduction now as we prepare for the 2012-13 school year.
All we are requesting is that public education be treated fairly. We continue to be asked to do more with less. Our mission is to produce global citizens and that takes resources. We have a team that is focused on what is best for all students and appreciate your continued support of our work. Stay tuned as the drama unfolds!
Rich Boccia
Mammoth Unified Superintendent
One excuse after another …
Dear Editor:
This is a response to Mr. O’Connell’s letter: Check the Pockets, The Sheet, April 14.
The obvious reality is the Town of Mammoth Lakes breached its Development Agreement contract with Terry Ballas. It is irrelevant if the Town had $5,000 or $500 million in its bank account in 1997 when our then-elected Town Councilmembers approved that Airport contract. The Town Council, Town Attorney and Town Manager should have thought long and hard about the possible financial hardship it could have put our community in if they were to breach that contract.
Don’t forget the Town of Mammoth’s attorneys, at the time of the breach, obviously failed to recognize that the Town might not be able to pay the cost of ANY judgment awarded. Check the pockets. Essentially, Town Councilmembers gambled the Town’s assets, lost the litigation, and today they are still responsible to provide essential services to our community. Where’s the outrage?
Never mind that Mr. Ballas had the right to sell the judgment to MLLA (Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition) in good economic times or bad times, and for any price. Keep in mind that Mr. O’Connell speculates the Hot Creek project would not ever have been built at that time, when Mono County and Mammoth saw one of its best investment/construction years in decades (from 1999-2006).
In my opinion Mr. Ballas (the original plaintiff) and now MLLA were not the instigators of this great hardship to the Town of Mammoth. Like they had this all planned out in 1997 for the sole purpose of bankrupting the Town of Mammoth. Yeah, right. All they are doing today is pursuing their legal rights as determined by the court.
The letter suggested that MLLA go before our community and explain why they deserve their judgment payment, and it questioned that MLLA actually has the courage to go public with their comments. After what the Town of Mammoth Lakes has put them through for the past 15 years. Wrong! All I have heard from our elected Town Councilmembers is, I have inherited this debacle, it’s not my fault, this will never happen again … one excuse after another. Is this the kind of leadership we deserve? Never has anyone suggested a real viable solution to this problem or any accountability whatsoever.
Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil. How about this suggestion? We get all the Town of Mammoth’s Councilmembers, Town Attorneys and Town Managers from 1997 to present to attend a public town hall meeting and let them show their courage and justify their actions regarding this issue to the 8,400 Mammoth residents and property/business owners who have now become the Real Victims.
Ray Doblick
Crowley Lake
