Editor’s note: The following is a letter to the editor. The opinions expressed in this letter are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Mendocino Voice. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor feel free to write to info@mendovoice.com.
Dear Editor:
Mendocino College’s Measure A on the June 2 ballot is a $95 million bond that, with interest, will cost taxpayers $210 million. According to Measure A’s best estimate, property owners will be paying off this bond for the next 35 years, until fiscal 2060-2061.
A “YES on A” flier in the mail says “Join local nurses and firefighters” to “expand job training programs” and provide “affordable education.”
The full text of Measure A is in the voter pamphlet. It lists more than 100 projects the bond money can be used for, none of which are job training programs or affordable education.
Some of the projects Measure A money can be spent on include: Dining rooms, bookstores, theaters, and galleries. Athletic facilities, wellness facilities, and performing arts facilities. Construction of a data center. Land acquisition and building demolition. The corporation building and yard. Roads, bus stops, and parking lots. Fields, hard courts, turf, irrigation, and a sculpture garden. Vehicles, furniture, elevators, generators — and much more. The funds will also go to pay assessment reviews, planning costs, staff training, and to the district for employee salaries.
It is regrettable that the promotional advertising for Measure A does not even hint at the vast array of projects, equipment, payroll, and district overhead that the money will be used for, projects that have little or nothing to do with nursing or firefighting or the cost of education.
B.B. Kamoroff
Willits