It’s the economy, students
Measure Q n the Hermosa Beach ballot is not about altruism. It is about economics. The excellence of the Hermosa Beach School District is one of the main factors influencing home prices in Hermosa Beach. Where does this excellence come from? It comes from the students and the teachers who show up everyday and perform at a high level. David Figlio, a professor of education and social policy at Northwestern University had this to say in a Wall Street Journal article, “Strong ratings lead to better community support, which in turn leads to better schools. Today the difference between an A school and B school might easily be $50,000 on a $300,000 house.” Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the School District is asking for a handout. They are asking you to make an investment in your asset base. Measure Q at $29.95 per $100,000 of assessed value (what you pay property taxes on) will provide critically needed space and infrastructure upgrades so that you get the return on investment you have come to expect from living in Hermosa Beach. If Measure Q fails, homebuyers will be looking at our neighbors since they will prefer to spend their money in a town that values education.
Monique Ehsan
Hermosa Beach
Share the burden
Measure Q is an expensive bond for the property owners in Hermosa Beach. At $29.50 per $100,000 of assessed property value, in addition to the $17.50 per $100,000 that property owners already pay yearly for Hermosa Schools, I figure that measure Q will increase my property taxes for the parcel I own in Hermosa by $708 per year.
I am in favor of a good school system. However, I do have concerns about Measure Q: What if the oil measure is passed and the schools benefit financially? This could happen after the vote on Q. How many students in Hermosa Beach are out of district students? Why not use a parcel tax that is the same for all property owners regardless of assessed value? It seems measure Q is a bit onerous for property owners who bought in the last seven years. School cost should be shared equally among property owners in my view. A parcel tax would be a fairer solution than measure Q.
Getchell Wilson
by email
Construction cost times two
No one questions that the Hermosa Beach School District needs more classrooms to relieve overcrowding. However, according to the school district’s own analysis, they really need about $25 million to fix the problem, less than half of the $54 million they are asking for in Measure Q. Keep in mind that this is the same school district that decided a gymnasium was more important than classrooms. School board member Lisa Claypoole even boasts that a “gymnasium is a classroom” and a closet is a ”learning classroom.” So one must wonder how we can give the District a $54 million blank check to do whatever they want with no plan and no legal way to force the school district to spend the money properly. The district says that the bond oversight committee will protect us. The bond oversight committee only audits expenses; it has no legal authority to stop illegal spending or spending it deems is wasteful.
Just like almost everyone else, I want better schools and I am willing to pay higher taxes to do that. But I cannot in good conscience vote for a measure that gives the school board carte blanche to spend twice as much as needed.
Fred Huebscher
Hermosa Beach
Construction cost overdue
Measure Q is an investment in Hermosa’s future.The School District is operating over its capacity and using makeshift accommodations to seat over 1470 students. Our school population has increased every year since 1987 and is projected to maintain its over-capacity level for at least another 10 years. The average age of our schools is 70. Because of this outdated infrastructure, we are spending more money than necessary on outdated lighting, heating and plumbing.
After two years of thoughtful community dialogue and professional analysis of the district’s capacities, facilities and resources, it’s evident that there is an immediate need for remodeled classrooms and spaces for our students and teachers. Both View and Valley school are California Distinguished Schools.
Measure Q is designed to provide money for facility development only. The Master Plan, which was approved in June, outlines nine areas of immediate needs for the district, including safety, overcrowding, traffic congestion, sustainable energy, joint use, modernization and equity.
Maggie Bove-LaMonica
Hermosa Beach City School District Trustee
Known by friends’ funds
After reading “Assembly hopefuls speak at forum,” (ER October 23, 2014), on the Kiwanis Club debate between David Hadley and Al Muratsuchi, I detected a hint of bias for Muratsuchi. Just because the Democratic candidate is not getting money directly from individuals or interests living physically in the state capital does not mean that those political elites are not primarily funding his campaign. $500,000 of Muratsuchi’s campaign donations are from oil companies, yet Easy Reader neglected to report that information. Hadley’s campaign is relying almost completely on funding from within the district. Is there something wrong with our representatives’ receiving funding from the very people who elect them?
I am grateful for Easy Reader’s recount of Hadley’s first order of business: helping the cities of Lomita and Gardena establish their own school districts, free from the disorder and dysfunction of Los Angeles Unified. Why hasn’t Muratsuchi done anything for those sections of his district?
For all of Muratsuchi’s boasting about bipartisanship, he has voted more than 90 percent of the time with the liberal Democratic supermajority.He represents government interests, not South Bay values.
I will be voting for David Hadley November 4.
Arthur Christopher Schaper
Torrance
All politics is local
Assembly candidate David Hadley refuses to support or oppose the proposed Hermosa Beach oil and gas drilling project. I wonder if Hadley would have an opinion about this project with its 34 oil/gas and wastewater injection wells if he and his family lived within 160 feet of the project. In Hermosa Beach, E&B Oil proposes to do just that. The project is also right next to South Park where our children play.
Let’s also not forget how close the Farmer’s Market near Clark Field is to the drilling project and all the children who go to the Farmer’s Market after school. State Senate candidate Ben Allen, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and Senator Ted Lieu all oppose the project. Please join me in supporting candidates who are not afraid to take a stand on this important issue.
Nanette Barragan
Mayor Pro Tem, Hermosa Beach
Measure CM terms of endearment
Don’t be hornswoggled by our Redondo Beach mayor and his cohorts. They are attempting to get the residents to vote to approve Measure CM, would would allow three terms for the mayor and councilmen. Normally, when elected officials vote to benefit the office they hold the new law does not take effect until after they are out of office. Not our mayor, not his buddies on the council. If measure CM passes they plan to have an employee of the city hand carry it to Sacramento for approval (or whatever needs to be done to enact a change to the City Charter). This is normally a month process, but hand carrying to the State Government Office will allow councilmen Pat Aust and Matthew Kilroy time to register to run for their third terms.
Our mayor and his cronies are running amuck with over-development all over the city. Mayor Steve Aspel, Councilmen Aust, Kilroy, Stephen Sammarco and Jeff Ginsburg are attempting to erode the power of the people by passing changes to the City Charter and changes in the way the city does business. Don’t allow them this power.
Gretchen Lloyd
Redondo Beach
