Pleasanton Parcel Tax 2009 Yes or No?
Pleasanton Parcel Tax
The Pleasanton school district through a Pleasanton Parcel Tax is looking to close the nearly $9 million budget gap left from state budget cuts. Tonight the Pleasanton school board will meet to decide on a Parcel Tax and if it will be on the May 19th or June 2nd ballot.
The Pleasanton school district will be sending out 229 layoff notices to full time employees. 86 teachers and 71 temporary employees are included.
While a final number has not been decided upon for the Pleasanton Parcel Tax, estimates range from $100 to over $300. Some are calling for a dollar a day campaign.
And yes, there is a lot of support for the Pleasanton Parcel Tax. From Facebook groups to a rally on Sun. March 8th from 4:00-5:30. Also supporters have created SavePleasantonSchools.org
For more information on the Pleasanton Parcel Tax or to volunteer follow Volunteer Pleasanton Parcel Tax
One of the reasons Pleasanton home values continue to remain strong compared to other communities are the Pleasanton schools. The Pleasanton community has always rallied together to protect the city and our children. We encourage you to look into the Pleasanton Parcel Tax and if needed vote in the way that best protects the Pleasanton Community and Pleasanton neighborhood home values.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I am not for this additional parcel tax. We are already paying an 8% school bond on our current Pleasanton property tax bill. Why aren’t you noting that in this article as well as facts brought up by the Independent: http://www.independentnews.com/fullstory.php?newsid=337
April 11th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Thanks Mary,
There has been a lot of press about the parcel tax and it is very important people look at all the facts.
April 15th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Normally I would not vote for extra taxes, however I feel the parcel tax is a different situation.
I will vote YES for the parcel tax because Pleasanton is known for their great schools, I don’t want my property values to depreciate, do you? Whether you have children in school or not I think the parcel tax will help save our property values.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I will vote no on this parcel tax. A school bond of 8% was already passed previously to take care of this. We don’t need additional taxes we are overtaxed now already! No more bonds and no more taxes!
April 18th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
The opposition now has their website up. It’s at http://www.PleasantonParcelTaxInfo.com
May 11th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Obviously those of you voting no have no children. My daughter just moved into this district from out of town and the turn-around is tremendous. You guys take your schools for granted. You have no idea how much this school district means to this town. There’s a reason our schools are among the top in the nation. Why throw it away over a lousy $200? And it’s not even permanent. Oh and by the way, San Ramon just passed there Parcel tax renewal AND increase with a %75/25 margin. So hopefully our town values our childrens education as much as they do in San Ramon.
May 11th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Dear Citizen-
On the oppositions website, the facts page leave out a major discrepency between San Ramon and PUSD. Comparing salaries without considering the costs of Health Benefits is a huge mistake. The average family member has to pay a minimum of $12,000/month on health care and an additional $166/month on Dental. That’s over $16,000 a year. Perhaps you should put that on your website since you are listing the “facts”.
You should also list the fact that the teachers have already agreed to sacrifice two paid staff development days (decreasing their salaries by %1.1) if the parcel tax passes, which is about $700/teacher. Teachers are not seeking a raise, nor do they expect one. My main concern is to keep class size reduction, especially at the elementary schools. Unfortunately, if this parcel tax doesn’t pass, that will over and classes will go from 20/1 to something like 33/1, and that’s a FACT.
I understand tough times, but at some point we have to decide what we are willing to sacrifice and what we are not. “Making all cuts” means cutting all the things that make this district so great. If they are going to claim that the district can balance the budget, they should really let you know how. I’ve seen it. I’ve seem the cuts they are going to make, and the big ones aren’t sports and music and all the extra curricular things that are important to some, but not to all. They are inside the classroom, at the root of the educational system. They are going to decrease the attention of every single child in this district, and the most fundamental level. The schools simply will not maintain the level of excellence they have acheived in the past if these cuts are made. These are facts.
Allen
May 20th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Listen people! I am an elementary 5th grade student. I would vote yes for the parcel tax… But, no !!! No grownup ever, ever asks a child if he or she wishes his or her point of view is represented. VOTE YES. SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN. PLEASE!!
May 20th, 2009 at 11:22 am
okay. I was a bit harsh earlier. But this affects my life, education and my world. Please take pity on a little girl
May 20th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Our world depends on many things. We have essential human qualities to persevere throughout this long journey of life where we travel barefoot on a gravel road. We need hope…fear…questions…anger and many more to continue up the staircase in which we will tire, fall and stand straight again. We must support ourselves. In order to do that we must have a job. Something we like. But not all of us have a mere talent, or dream. We necessitate having an education. At a time it was all weeding, growing harvesting, that brought a steady amount of coins to our out-stretched hand. We could survive on a $1.00 pay to by food for our family. Not anymore. We DEPEND on our education in math, language arts and science. With that we our support in our teachers. The ones that you have pink-slipped last month.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Sara, I guess we’re name buddies then… I totally agree with you. Can you keep going with your thoughts though? I felt like you cut it off in the middle of nowhere. Thanks.
I hope everybody outthere is listening, because your children are sure speaking.
May 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I hope that when your children are speaking to you about these issues, you are listening.
In my fifth grade clssroom, the kids dont start formal debates on their favovorite tv show, we debate on stocks, the DOW and the Nasdaq. you think we dont know. every single one of us knows this is the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. We help our parents out. believe it or not, we support you.
Its time for you to support us
I ask you again, please.
May 24th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
No one wants the Pleasanton schools to regress in terms of quality, however, that doesn’t mean that residents of the community should be punished with an additional tax. We already pay the highest amount of taxes in the country, and burdening us with additional taxes is not the correct solution. Businesses across the globe have been forced to make deep cuts due to the economic situation, and government agencies should not be exempt from making similar cuts. No one likes deep cuts as the impact is large, but they are a necessity of life when income reduces. As families, we always have to make tough choices with our own family budgets when income reduces, and the schools should not be any different. Government has no sense of fiscal responsibility because they find easy to spend money other than their own. I have (3) kids in school, and more taxes isn’t the solution. The answer is ensuring the schools are run efficiently based on the actual income they receive: just like the rest of the business and personal world.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:09 am
Vote NO! There is a lot of money waste in our district administration.
The schools in Pleasanton are not good because of the teachers and the district they are good because there is a lot of help from parents. The new taxes will not solve anything. The district needs to slim down spending and live withing the budget just like the rest of us.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
The simple fact is there is no money in the state budget and there is no way to fix right now. Paying the taxes we do in California is crazy, but what’s even crazier is not supporting your child’s education. That’s what this tax is about. The schools in Pleasanton are good because of the teachers not the parents, if you think otherwise I’m glad i’m not your child. Tons of well trained eager teachers will be fired and your kids are going to be the ones that pay. Voting no is a vote against supporting your kid’s teachers plain and simple.