Letter: Reasons to vote for Measure F
To the community,
I’ve served on Lake Tahoe Community College’s board of trustees for the college’s entire 40-year history. I was also one of a core group of community members who, starting back in the 1960s, worked together to bring a community college to our town. I am asking for your support this November for Measure F, a bond measure that will revitalize and modernize our aging college while delivering real value to South Lake Tahoe. It will also make it possible for a four-year college education to be earned right here at home.
Roberta Mason
The Measure F bond will cost about $75 per year for the average homeowner. That is a real cost to taxpayers, but it’s a reasonable price to pay –- about the cost of two cups of coffee per month. Even better, that cost offers a great return on investment: more construction jobs, more students coming to campus and purchasing goods and services in town, and increased property values, to name a few. This $55 million bond can be leveraged into approximately $107 million through matching state funds and grant opportunities. So for their $55 million, community members and business owners will potentially see nearly double that amount come into our community -– a much-needed economic shot in the arm for Tahoe.
I was there when the ground broke at LTCC’s current campus, and I can now see clearly how time and mountain weather has eroded it. Measure F monies will maintain and modernize LTCC’s 25-year-old campus, replacing outdated and failing electrical, heating and cooling systems, technology, and parking lots, trails and walkways. Leaky roofs will be repaired, and buildings will be made safer. Science labs and classrooms will be upgraded so students have the best learning environment possible. Measure F also provides for a new public safety training center, where our fire academy cadets and emergency personnel throughout the region can receive world-class training. This Center will also provide a hub during crises such as wildfires, earthquakes, and other disasters, so emergency officials can coordinate their efforts and save lives. There are a number of other projects the bond will also provide for: I encourage you to go to online www.ltcc.edu/measuref to see the complete bond project list so you know exactly what your dollars will bring to life on our campus, and in our community.
While providing access to four-year degrees wasn’t the original mission of the community college system in California, many community members and business owners have encouraged LTCC to pursue offering baccalaureates. We heard them loud and clear at the college’s 20/20 Vision session last fall. The state also recognizes that need. California is simply not producing enough college graduates to provide the work force it needs. The UC and CSU systems, while certainly high quality, are out of reach financially for many of our young people. If we want to employ our youth and educate the highly-skilled workforce California needs now, then the community college system must help. That’s why it’s launching a pilot program to begin offering four-year degrees once the governor signs SB 850 into law. We hope LTCC will be chosen for this program – we’re in a good position to be tapped for it. But if not, then Measure F provides for a university center on campus where a partner university can come in to jointly provide four-year degrees. No matter the outcome, LTCC will be poised to provide students and parents what they’re demanding –- access to a baccalaureate degree that’s affordable, and local.
The community college system’s mission is changing as it responds to real-world issues facing California. With your help on Nov. 4, Lake Tahoe Community College can play a part in solving these issues while providing a modern, world-class institution to our town. Please vote Yes for Measure F — for our town, our future, and for our kids.
Roberta Mason, South Lake Tahoe
That’s some expensive coffee, but I like coffee! Seriously though, I like the idea of a four year college here. There is something vibrant about college towns. Just hope enrollment etc is a realistic goal.
Why does EVERYBODY compare increases in property taxes to cups of coffee purchased? Like EVERYBODY who owns a house can afford to go out for coffee every day? Please! We homeowners have to be frugal. And if you’ll look at your tax bill (it recently arrived) There’s an enormously long list of tax-payer passed fees and bonds that now preclude coffee, lunch, or any number of discretionary outings from the average home owner’s budget.
NO, thank you very much.
Before adding more classes try filling the classes currently offered. Also,its my understanding employees have received salary increases every year since 2010. LTCC its time you live within your means! Your a state facility ask them for the money. I vote no on F.
As a renter I would be more than willing to have my rent raised to absorb this cost to my landlord. I would see it as not only an investment in local education resources, but also as a positive step in the diversity of our towns economic future.
Vote yes on Measure F!
I don’t buy it, it seems like another scam by the folks in charge.
I recommend voting NO
I also don’t like being burdened with additional property taxes especially for things that are not beneficial to me at all. They say it will increase property values which in turn will increase your property tax. I think if everyone that can vote on this was a property owner, they would think twice before approving this. Voters who don’t own a property shouldn’t be allowed to vote for a tax that only affects home owners.
As a resident of South Lake Tahoe, I strongly support Measure F. It comes down to what kind of community we want. This measure gives us the opportunity to update and upgrade the physical campus, in addition to increasing educational opportunities for our local students.
Dean I rarely argue points on this forum, but don’t renter’s by virtue of paying their landlords a rental fee actually absorb a large percentage, or even all plus some, of a rental property owner’s costs for that property? And are you insinuating that we renters should be considered nothing more than second class citizens with less rights than a homeowner?
LTUSD bond 1992: $35.25
LTUSD bond 1999: $73.22
LTUSD bond 2008: $193.00
SLT Recreation: $18.00
S Shore Snow Zone: $20.00
Ambulance S Shore: $24.60
Mosquito Program: $6.00
Litter Abatement: $6.00
Hazard Waste: $3.00
Library Tax: $18.50
Lake Vly Fire Meas. M: $20.00
Those are all on top of my General Tax Levy. Many of those things used to be covered in that general tax. But now, every time somebody wants something extra, it gets tacked onto my property tax bill.
Those of us who live and work here, do not have renters to pass the fees on to. WE pay them. And because we pay them, that’s less that we can spend on other services provided by local people who are also trying to make a living.
And before somebody points out that those fees mean I live in a more expensive house than average, let me note that we built the house ourselves. The tax is calculated by what the market value is when you final the house, NOT by what it actually cost you to build it. We spent about 1/3 the cost to build it that the assessor decided it was worth. We are not rich. And I think there are many people in this town who are in similar situations.
All the additional fees we already have add nearly $500 to my already high property tax bill. PLEASE think long and hard before you add to your neighbors’ burden.
Maybe they could offer a course called Teabagging 911: Comparative Constitutional Theories of Libertarian Price-of-a-Cup-of-Coffee-Associations in a Post-Freedom Neo-Republican Apocalyptic Society. AuntieSocial could screech, er….umm, I mean TEACH the class.
$75 per year?
Isn’t that the approximate cost of one tank of gas? ($3.80 per gallon times 20 gallons = $76)
Or how about a pack of cigarettes at approximately $6 per pack? ($6 times 12-packs = $72)
So the tank of gas can last 2-3 weeks if you’re lucky; and 12-packs of cigarettes can last around two-weeks.
Education lasts a lifetime. The Measure F bond amount to the individual taxpayer is a small sacrifice for a huge return.
I have no children but I’ve always paid taxes to educate other people’s children. Those young people will one day be the leaders of the future and we don’t need any more stupid people attempting to lead. Some things you do for a cause greater than self.
Vote yes on Measure F.
Let me know what kind of 4 year degrees will be offered.
Let me guess. Chemistry, physics, geology, or engineering. Or maybe ethnic studies, racial studies, sociology, psychology, or music.
This definitely will elevate LTCC right along side of UCLA or Dartmouth.
Never have more people had more degrees and less practical knowledge than that derived from the modern American educational machine.
Legal Beagle: If LTCC is chosen to pilot a baccalaureate degree, it must be in a career technical education (CTE) area that does not compete with a CSU program. While the shared governance process has not formally begun regarding the degree we will submit for consideration, it may end up being something in the arena of public safety.
I also would urge others to vote NO on this.
My 75 dollars is already allocated for the STPUD increase such that I can flush my toilet.
I would urge those that think they cannot afford a 4yr degree at the CSU system to investigate cal grants,pell grants and work study(yes ,its a program where you actually work a little why you attend school)
A community college is supposed to support the community (general ed for students,brush up nite classes for adults) -not the community supporting the college.
It would be wasteful to try to duplicate a 4yr system here and unjustifed to have locals foot the bill
Just wanted to clarify on a point: staff and faculty at LTCC haven’t received a salary increase since 2007, and that was not a permanent increase…just a one-time, 1.5% payout. It didn’t apply towards retirement calculations, and it wasn’t applied permanently to the salary structure. Just a one-time deal.
By law, Measure F cannot be used towards administrator or faculty salary increases.
4-mer, when my car is running on fumes, it costs about $40 to fill it. But then, I drive a 10-year old economy car. . .
Did I neglect to mention the mandated fire fee that homeowners also pay? Add another $135 to that bill, except it comes separate from the regular tax bill.
LTCC classes are not being filled right now. Before I would vote yes on something like this I would like to see numbers on what this will do to increase enrollment. Real researched numbers not just we hope. There are plenty of students in other districts that can not get the classes they need because they are impacted. Are we doing any kind of outreach to capture those students? Maybe when they graduate high school. And for those out there that insist that our cost of living is too high, your just crazy, compare us to counties like, LA, Orange, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Silicon Valley. All of these areas are double what we are in housing costs, and all of these areas have schools that you cant get classes because of huge amounts of students with limited classes. Show how we will be getting these students. How many public safety students do we currently educate and how many will be get after we have a new system. What will be our ROI. How do other schools do their maintaince and upgrades, not many are getting bonds. It seems to me our problem is not enough students so we get less money from the state as I believe we are paid per student enrolled.
I can not encumber my property for 30 years for that kind of tax. That’s way too long, a shorter term and seeing the results might help to extend it. But that’s not what was introduced. P.S. the college has angered a lot of folks with the noise and destruction of the field at the rave party they sponsor snowglobe. And they talk about maintenance!!
Dogula:
Well, we all get to make our own choices.
We’ve got you beat on car ages however; our cars are 1993 and 2000 year Jeeps: 21-years old and 14-years old respectively. But as you and I wrote about in the past, the assessed value of your home is greater than mine, but then my home is only two bedrooms and two baths, was built in 1976, and we purchased it in 2001. So I guess since we’ve chosen to live in a more frugal manner it’s easier for us to afford a lousy $75 a year to help other people succeed and to help our community get ahead in the future. However, both I and my spouse continue to work because we enjoy it and for the money. I’m 70 and she’s 65, and these were/are our choices.
A comment here to Dogula. Have you requested that the county reassess your property value since the real estate bust? I did and ended up getting almost an $1100 tax reduction. The system really works sometimes.
Other that that, I am agree that we should not be trying to replicate the 4 year college/university system here. Unfortunately this is coming about because the state has diligently been working on taking the community out of Community college by cutting funding for classes that enhance the community that ultimately supports the college. Many classes I used to take or have been interested in (usually the evening ones) have been cut from the curriculum with no guarantees that this new tax will help bring them back.
Career Technical Education should be modeled on the German system. You get trained in a career where you actually get a job when you complete the course of education. We have enough individuals who have been educated by the current system with degrees that are worthless in today’s job market. A CTE does not necessarily require a 4 year education, but instead a rigorously focused curriculum that delivers an income generating career is as short amount of time possible. A baccalaureate degree really isn’t required and there is no shame in an AA degree. If you would like to pursue a higher degree to further your career once you are gainfully employed the option is always there through other venues. An Associate Degree in Nursing is a prime example of this concept.
Virginia Boyar states “the shared governance process has not formally begun regarding the degree we will submit for consideration” This leaves one with the feeling that we should pump money into an aging infrastructure that will provide the community, it may end up being something in the arena of public safety.” We should have more than a “maybe” as to the programs our taxpayer dollars will be spent on other than new concrete and roofing materials. Might I also point out that there are already many fine fire fighters, EMT’s and Paramedics we have produced without a 4 year baccalaureate degree. We should broaden the scope of our Career Technical Education program offerings rather than provide more classes so that one may place “BS” on their title.
Until this is proposed I believe that my tax dollar will be frittered away and not provide more jobs other than the temporary construction jobs that are mentioned. Fewer individuals in the end will be educated and prepared for fewer jobs equating less bang for our educational buck.
My Vote is NO until a better alternative is proposed.
Local taxpayers should not have to shoulder the financial burden of building facilities and subsidizing programs to attract out of town students. Raise the tuition instead, if the programs are worthwhile, they will come and purchase the product.
The cup of coffee argument is getting stale.
Dogula
This is one of the better comments you have made on this site. And I agree.
Dogula says – POSTED: SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
Why does EVERYBODY compare increases in property taxes to cups of coffee purchased? Like EVERYBODY who owns a house can afford to go out for coffee every day? Please! We homeowners have to be frugal. And if you’ll look at your tax bill (it recently arrived) There’s an enormously long list of tax-payer passed fees and bonds that now preclude coffee, lunch, or any number of discretionary outings from the average home owner’s budget.
NO, thank you very much.
I also think only property owners who will be paying this tax should be allowed to vote on it. If I raised the rent on my tenants every time there is a tax increase, I wouldn’t have any renters. And I’m talking full time renters, charge the vacation renters all you want.
@Toogee, I do apologize if you took offense to my statement. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. After rereading what I wrote, I can see how it sounded to you. I just know that when I was a landlord I never increased my tenants rent because something got voted on and increased my property taxes. I just absorbed the cost. I just wish they would find ways other than the unfair practice of putting it on property taxes. For me, having never used the public school system, I feel like we are being bombarded with school bonds all too often.
Arguments about coffee and College Education… really?
From the 2010 Census Average Annual Salaries
Men:
No High School Diploma – $29k
High School Diploma – $40k
Two Year College Degree – $50k
Four Year College Degree – $64k
Average earning difference 2 to 4 year degree $14k
Women:
No High School Diploma – $21k
High School Diploma – $30k
Two Year College Degree – $38k
Four Year College Degree – $47k
Average earning difference 2 to 4 year degree $9k
Clearly we are not talking about “cups of coffee” but big differences in per Capita Gross Production over a persons lifetime in the workforce.
The right wing agenda: An uneducated, unhealthy, non-voting populace.
I guess we can be thankful that most of the greedy sociopaths that comment here don’t have children. They don’t care about the future generations or leaving our world a better place than we found it.
Only property owners should be allowed to vote? What is wrong with you wingnuts? It’s not “ME the People”, it’s “WE the People”.
Calling people names for having a different viewpoint from yours doesn’t prove your point.
From the way I see it, those who are FOR this tax increase are only showing how greedy they are, and willing to take money from other people in order to get what they want.
Generosity doesn’t involve taking from others against their will. Especially for a project that is so obviously unnecessary. There is no lack of 4 year colleges in California.
Your eagerness to spend other people’s money doesn’t make you better than anybody else, whatever you might think.
When I purchase a product or service, I question the cost. Frequently, I still go ahead and make the purchase. But just because someone, or a govt. entity, says this is what should be paid, esp. when what should be paid is always going up, doesn’t mean the public has to blindly go along.
And just because one scrutinizes the cost, also doesn’t mean one is anti-education or anti-youth. We already are paying many taxes to support education and our youth.
Further, some of what this increase is supposed to cover, maintenance, should’ve already been budgeted for.
So the same people who didn’t budget properly are saying, “pay more”? It should be understandable why some question that.
Our daughter is getting her BA on line, two of our Grandchildren are going to collages in different states. Because they are ESTABLISHED and have years of experience. Between income tax, business tax, property tax, air tax, water tax, what comes out of your body tax, tax on tax I’m Done! focus on what you have and make it better. Try living within you budget. Right now it’s about slashing wages and benefits with all education and government programs/employees. How about charging more for the use of the collage for snow globe. I’m tired of it will only cost the tax payer for a short time this much. Not what you wanted to hear, but it’s my wallet.
Online education IS the future.
Dog is whining about name calling… Really! LOL!
Clearly there is a benefit to a well educated working population.
BTY. I believe Nevada first eliminated the “good neighbor/tuition” policy; this made going to LTCC more expensive if you lived across that state line. California did retaliate.
Whoo-Hoo, I’m a nut and I have wings !
Why should someone be able to tell me to pay more taxes when they are not paying any ? Just because I own my house does not mean I should support all those that rent.
You want to make it fair, increase the sales tax. All those taxes on my property tax bill are for the “benefit” of everyone. Let everyone pay their fair share.
Rock so what your saying is build it and they will come. Withouy
an increase in enrollment the scholl will go under sooner or later because of the increased maintaince costs. IS THERE A PLAN to recruit more out of area students. If we are doing this because of the chance to become one of the colleges that will be picked to offer ONE BA or BS degree. Wait til there is a real plan this has no plan. Esp since we are not at close to full enrollment
The college has worked hard over the last couple of years to increase enrollment. Many state mandates and budget cuts caused a huge loss of enrollment (i.e.- the state not allowing students to repeat classes and the loss of the good neighbor policy) but there is an increase in enrollment this fall due to the diligence and sacrifices of the college staff and faculty. The soccer program has brought in many international students who are now living in our community. I believe the college has turned a new leaf and needs the community’s support to continue to become a hub for learning and culture in South Lake Tahoe.
On a side note, the first home conference soccer games will be on Friday, October 3rd (Women’s at 2:00 and Men’s at 4:00). Classic Cue is supplying food and there will be some nice give aways. Come out and support the Coyotes! Ahh-woooooo!
A quick clarification. Whether or not LTCC is chosen to offer a baccalaureate degree is a separate (but tangentially related) issue from Measure F. A university center (a Measure F issue) would simply allow the college to offer 4-year university courses as an extension campus to an existing CSU or UC.
To the poster who asked about the popularity of public safety related courses at LTCC, Fire Science/Criminal Justice/EMT etc., represent the largest number of students taking courses at LTCC. A baccalaureate degree (again — related to SB-850) would allow incumbent public safety personnel to advance to senior positions in their careers and draw students across the state due to the high probability of online and condensed courses.
As Mrs. Mason states, this link contains a wealth of information and FAQs about Measure F:
http://www.ltcc.edu/web/ltcc/measuref
Virginia, how many students are going full time in these fields, how many more will we be able to attract with 110 million dollars. I cant vote for something that i dont know what kind of return we will be getting.
After thinking about how much money 100 million dollars is, we must be getting a world class center that is huge, i didnt realise the school had that much coverage. Lets say it cost $400 per foot to build we will have a buildings that add up to 250 thousand square feet, WOW! would this tax be better used to fixing our roads first? 55 million would go a long ways
Some good comments here. Is there a provision that would take pay, benefits or pensions away from those who support this idea should it fail? Or, alternately, share the profits if the ideas are successful. Because, if there isn’t, they aren’t truly standing behind the proposal. Let the bureaucrats have a financial interest in their ideas’ success or failure and I will support the proposal. It is easy to predict pie-in-the-sky results but much more difficult to realize them. The same thing applies to the (most recent and redundant) recreation plan.
Relo. We already have built it; a very nice College in SLT. The point is to maintain it and expand to 4 year Degrees. Clearly, 4 year Degrees are desirable.
I come from the old days when the College was an old motel and I do NOT want the College to just decay (this is not Meyers.)
I also think a good marketing campaign and offering the right curriculum will put more students in seats:
Extend the High School Arts & Design curriculum.
Extend Environmental Science/Forestry curriculum.
Curriculum for a Degree in Resort Operations.
Curriculum centered on winter sport athletics, perhaps a world class training center.
Curriculum centered on Orthopedics and Sport Medicine.
Try to bring back the “friendly neighbor” tuition policy.
Note. The Panama Canal cost about $15 Billion to build (in today’s dollars.) Many people questioned President Roosevelt’s handling of the whole project and said the Canal would be a terrible blunder. But ultimately the Canal was built, the benefits outweighed the costs and TR is now part of Mt Rushmore.
rock i agree that a good college will be great addition to the community. i question their ability to market the school. They have not been very proactive in the past or if they have it has not been affective. I know many young adults that are currently attending LTCC, most community colleges students have problems getting core classes here students have to worry about a core class being canceled due to low enrollment. I am unwilling to vote on a bond unless we are shown a marketing plan that will increase enrollment enough that ongoing maintaince cost will be covered. I dont believe the “Field of Dreams” build it and they will come,, type of marketing. The issue is that currently enrollment is not high enough to maintain the current buildings
This is a plus for our community VOTE YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gee dog. You must be frothing at the mouth over all the things you get taxed for living here in paradise. Be glad you arent sent seperate bills for all the things you listed, and more. Imagine the postage costs…..and you might have to buy envelopes, and the cost of personal checks, and the pens to write the addresses on the envelopes, and the cost of the gas to drive to the postoffice, im tired just imagining it all….lol
Relo. I am not sure that combining College Facilities with College Marketing is the approach for what our Community needs. However, if you feel it necessary, I put out some of my ideas on the marketing approach I would use and I am sure there are other voices out there.
I personally have been able to take advantage of LTCC over my 40 years+ at Tahoe; the College gave me the chance to stay in the Community and improve my life. Yes, I have volunteered my time to the College as well. So, my opinions and support are in favor of the College.
My bottom line is this. I see more and more Pot growers moving into my neighborhood and “building” grow facilities behind dark curtains – build it and “they” do come… to get it. I really “feel” that young people need an alternative to that reality. Again, my opinion.