Our community colleges train students for many important careers across the employment spectrum from police officers and fire fighters to nurses and medical technicians. Over the past several years, Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College have had to reduce their budgets by approximately $20 million due to State budget cuts. Unfortunately, these reductions are happening during a time when enrollments are surging. Students cannot get the classes they need, so they will take longer to graduate and become productive members of our communities.

Measure G is a $34 parcel tax—less than $3 per month-- for the community colleges and is on the June ballot. Measure G would partially restore some of the lost revenue to our community colleges and would be in effect for four years to help the colleges bridge the gap in lost state revenue. No money will be used for administrator salaries, and seniors can claim a tax exemption. The San Mateo County Community College District has pledged to use all of the new funding to restore classes in important areas, such as career technical education; basic core academics in reading, writing, and math; and preparation for students to transfer to a four-year college.

The community colleges play a very important role in helping to create jobs and grow our economy. Please join me in voting Yes on Measure G to help preserve classes for students.

Virginia Chang Kiraly
Commissioner
California Commission for Economic Development

SMCCCD can’t find money to give “students the classes they need.” Yet they found money to build (in their words) first class faculty housing ... with stunning views ... and rents at half the market average. One cluster of housing was built on Canada College property, formerly the home of a Checkerspot Butterfly colony. The new faculty housing is also tax exempt, meaning they won’t pay their new tax on us!
The District should sell the faculty housing and get out of the realestate business. If they want to subsidize staff housing it should show in their budget as part of the compensation package.
Training of police officers, fire fighters, nurses, medical technicians, etc. should be subsidized by the unions into whose ranks they will enter. Reimbursement could then be readily collected as a surcharge on their union dues.

Jack Hickey,
Taxpayer's Advocate,
Elected Member Sequoia Healthcare District Board of Directors,
Candidate for San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Thank you, Jack Hickey, for making voting easier. I just look to see what your recommendations are, and then vote the opposite!

Fortunately, I don't have to cater to union leadership. I'll take the support of the rank and file.

Now that the SMCCCD has a $564 Million Bond Measure on the Ballot, I would like to revisit my opening comment in this topic.

"...the San Mateo Community College Foundation headed by Stephanie Scott(on the District payroll at $148,000/yr.), plunked down $64,260 in this effort to ram the parcel tax down the taxpayer's throat!"

Contributions to the Foundation are tax exempt. An examination of contributions with an election timeline would be of interest. Ask Stephanie Scott, Executive Director of the San Mateo County Community College District Foundation. You might also ask how much the Foundation will be contributing to the Bond campaign.

Anyone interested in how the District used $250,000 for pre-election PR in their failed attempt to pass a Bond Measure in 1999 can visit: Web Link

Bond funds can only be used for capital construction.

How much will be required to operate these buildings (less the cost of operation of any buildings which they replace) and does the District have those funds in its operating budget?