It got a lot closer this time and a third try will do it.

Measure G -- 62%

Measure E -- 65%

New Measure -- 67% est

There are already people taking the necessary steps to get another measure on the ballot. Remember, many communities have taken three tries to get a parcel tax passed. We are almost there. One important factor that improved the numbers this time was increased outreach to the community. That convinced a greater number of people to vote yes. We will need to be spending more money on getting the message out in the coming parcel tax ballot. Above all, don't be discouraged. This was a good result. The next one will get passed.

Thanks to all on the campaign for their hard work, time, and dedication to our kids. We know there is more than 65.16% of support out there in our community, but the ballots just didn't all make it in. So, we'll work even harder next time to make sure those "yes" votes are all reflected, and we can get this continuous stream of revenue into our kids and schools that the state keeps taking away from us!

Measure G was 62.7 and measure E is 65.2, so the pick up is only 2.5 points, yet the drop in the size of the tax went from $233 down to $98. Godbe Research in the January survey came back with 71-72 points predicted in favor at $98 with + and - 5 point error. This election was not suppose to be less than 67 points in favor at the outside. And was a mail-in only election (which typically favors the yes side). So, what does that tell you? The third try will be another complete waste of money. Maybe they have to drop the tax down to some really low number, like under 50 bucks.

The more this tax gets pushed, the more-so the arguments against it get the light of day. This will not change.

Too bad, sorry PUSD. Its so sad that some people in the community just don't care about the community and the education of our children, too many haters out there these days! As the school system continues to deteriorate the home values will go down and the selflessness of the few will be felt by all of us here, including the haters.

The fact that the teachers union voted against furlough days (after the classified union voted for furlough days) tells me a new measure will do no better than this one. Seems like people are tired of being nickel and dimed to make ends meet when not everyone is doing their part to help. Are kids really going to come first on the classified furlough days? What are those days going to be like on our campuses? No custodians, no support staff, no aides. When the teachers voted for furlough days for this school year, the classified union followed suit. The teachers union is not doing itself any favors!

Going out to the voters for more money when 1) the staff continue to get millions in salary increases each year and 2) the salaries are already one of the highest in CA is guaranteed to fail.

This is the third try that PUSD has had in passing a parcel tax and all have failed. The fourth attempt will just get the public more angry. I think frank from Pleasanton Heights is correct.

Given there are nearly 15,000 kids in the Pleasanton school system, you can see that with 13,000 or so Yes votes, looks like many voters with children currently enrolled in the public schools voted No as well.

Aww. Too bad. I really thought it would pass.

The results are what the survey predicted. People will only support a tax if there are no raises; yet they went ahead and are still giving out raises. Not sure what the district was thinking.

Taxes, taxes, taxes... parcel fees, fees, fees... how much do we need to shell out to give others a raise? Enough already! I support the teacher just as much as the other guy. In the corporate world, no income means layoffs... I don't like but that's life... get rid of the tenure system and automatic COLA and benefits... does the rest of the real world have these guarantees? No, enough is enough... I support the teachers just as much as my neighbor... Who is going to support me when I have nothing to live on?

"Measure G was 62.7 and measure E is 65.2, so the pick up is only 2.5 points, yet the drop in the size of the tax went from $233 down to $98. Godbe Research in the January survey came back with 71-72 points predicted in favor at $98 with + and - 5 point error. This election was not suppose to be less than 67 points in favor at the outside. And was a mail-in only election (which typically favors the yes side). So, what does that tell you? The third try will be another complete waste of money. Maybe they have to drop the tax down to some really low number, like under 50 bucks.

The more this tax gets pushed, the more-so the arguments against it get the light of day. This will not change."

The mail in campaign, with the senior exemption, was stacked in favor of the "Yes on E" campaign from the beginning. Yes on E outspent No on E by at least 65:1, and probably a great deal more.

"The mail in campaign, with the senior exemption, was stacked in favor of the "Yes on E" campaign from the beginning. Yes on E outspent No on E by at least 65:1, and probably a great deal more."

Next time, it may well be 150:1, if that is what it takes. It is getting closer each time. Expect the amount to increase to something closer to $200 on the next ballot. Expect more communication and get out the vote money spent on likely yes voters.

Tonight is a truly disheartening night for the teachers, faculty, and students of the PUSD. The community has continued to show the value they put on the education of the youth. The state is undoubtedly in a horrible financial situation and instead of working to help ease the impact in our classrooms we hear people spread misinformation.

Salaries one if the highest in the state? That hasn't been true for years. Health benefits in the PUSD are paid 100% by the teacher, unless they are able to take it from a spouse. Teachers are paying $10,000+ themselves. Other districts, like San Ramon, contribute. You cannot say that PUSD salaries are high when you don't take all the facts into account.

It floors me that people are willing to point fingers at teachers, as if we were the ones who caused the economic crisis. The entire state is in crisis yet teachers are the ones who are expected to solve the problem our district is in.

Pleasanton wants to be a community, but tonight it feels hypocritical. There clearly is a price on education, and $98 was too steep.

I'm new here and I am SO disappointed and disgusted. $98 a year...we can't do this .... really????? We were told that this district is one of the best. It is definitely not better than where we came from. My child had to take one less class than she did in our old district and guess what... we didn't have furlough days, and we didn't have to pay to play in sports and...gasp...we had school buses. How did we do this? We paid for it... something called property taxes based on the actual current value... not some value from 20 years ago. People in Pleasanton should be ashamed. And the state government included. How much can they cut from education? Our kids and the future of the country and state aren't worth it?

It has been clearly established in these threads in the past that PUSD teachers VOTED in the past to win salary increases in lieu of paid health benefits. Apparently a majority were covered by spouses and the will of the majority ruled over those teachers who got the shaft (had no spousal health benefit). The self-interest was that the higher salaries spiked the defined-benefit pensions that they are due according to the rules of how pension benefits are calculated. Considering ALL of the facts includes the pension benefits.

So, let's not cry "poor me" about that aspect.

To anyone who voted no and owns a home in Pleasanton that has equity in it, now is a good time to sell. The teachers can not fix this problem. It is ridiculous that the local negative bloggers have been bashing them for the states financial crisis. How will you feel when the API scores drop and your property value goes down? Was it worth saving your $98? Quit blaming the teachers. It's simple economics!

Blame the mismanagement of PUSD for the failure of the parcel tax. $98 dollars would have only saved programs if teachers' and administrators' salaries would have been frozen. Instead, they wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They can't have it both ways -- asking the community for a bailout when the bailout is to sustain unsustainable automatic salary increases.

The results are in.

Now, it's time to accept the results and move on in the spirit of cooperation. That's the system and that's the American way.

When will PUSD realize that buying the senior votes and handing out raises killed this tax? They will never stop trying so watch for the next survey and the next ballot measure. As so many here have said, if the teachers had frozen their wages, even for the term of the tax, I would have supported this.
Now I guess we can sit back and wait for the massive drop in property values that is thretened buy the tax supporters. Oh, right, that already happened. Then we can wait for the mass exodus of teachers from their jobs. Oh, right, where would they go?
How about just getting down to the busines of spending only what money you have PUSD?

Well it looks like measured E went down in flames. It's good news to me that the revenuer's will not get a hold of my pocketbook this time around. You want more money? Go find it somewhere else.

I am very happy that it lost and hopefully now our school board will work on the real issue and that is living within it means. We already pay $2700 per household for schools each year and that is plenty. If this school boaardis no capable of doing the job then we need to replace every one of them. I wonder what Trevor Knaggs will tell the teachers he is going to layoff to pay for the raises he gave the others. How much money has been wasted on these initiatives?

Governor Brown is suggesting cutting 20 days from the school year. It won't matter what the unions have negotiated. Freezing S&C and specific ballot language would like a good deal in comparison. Could be a good day to be a private school.

My suggestion is that County Offices of Education be either regionalized to just two or three in the state. I actually think they could be closed altogether with the state helping local districts at some levels without all the redundancy. I hope everyone on the blogs will contact the Governor with their own ideas for permanent, sustainable change.

The Pleasanton electorate is not an ATM for school district raises!

I want to see PSUD actually make some real budget cuts -freeze all raises- and stop saying we need more money --again.

Don't get sucked in to the property values argument. The defeat of Prop. E will have no effect on test scores.

I understand that PUSD spent $250K to market "Yes on E"! It was pretty slick. I got no marketing from the "No on E" folks and the measure failed.

Maybe the PUSD needs to take a good look at the fact that it is still giving raises to teachers and administrators wnen it should be finding ways to operate with more streamlined business processes, and eliminate the redundancies that come with the empire building of petty beuracrats.

I voted No becasue I'm sick and tired of all the taxes and fees I pay to the Feds, State, and Local Gov't. It's the same old tired "It's for the children" but you seem to forget that you're reaching into everyone's pocketbook when there is no money left.

There is nothing to stopping those who voted Yes to voluntairly give the District money.

Go ahead and try to pass another Measure but I'm sure it will also be voted down. Things will not get any better until the economy turns around and until then everyone has live withing their means.

As a teacher, I am glad I caused the economy to crash so that I could receive my millions in bonuses and salary.

Yes. I value a quality education for the children of Pleasanton. My children attended Pleasanton schools and received a quality education.
I will be taking my personal check for $98.00 to the District Office today. I hope other supporters will do the same.
We can make a difference if we chose too!

A few things to consider. We have only 5 high schools within 7 miles of each other and yet we have, 3 superintendents of schools, 5 assistant superintendents of schools, 3 maintenance departments, 3 vehicle pools, 3 IT departments, 3 HR departments, 3 administrative offices etc. Anyone think we can afford this long term? Not me, and I believe we need to go to "shared services" with the other districts in order to save money and continue with what we have. This will be fought tooth and nail by not only the teachers and union but also the people at the administrative offices. It really is up to the school boards to show true leadership.

This measure was never for the children.

Instead of constantly trying for a Parcel tax cut administrators' salaries and pensions and live within your means as the families are doing. Quit threatening a drop in property values. If they drop let them drop.This is a broken strategy. Donate directly to your area of interest. Hopefully this is the last try at a Parcel tax.

" Not me, and I believe we need to go to "shared services" with the other districts in order to save money and continue with what we have."

This will be fought tooth and nail by the people who payed a premium price for their homes so that their children could attend superior schools in Pleasanton.

Thank You Chris for putting your money where your mouth is. It is great people blindly & emotionally support schools without beginning to tackle the Budget issues when it constantly gets more revenue. Set up a Fund at the School District for all those that wanted to pay $400 or $200 Please bring in your money & show how much we really care. Add to it the $300,000.00 spent on this election.

"There is nothing to stopping those who voted Yes to voluntairly give the District money."

There is nothing to stopping those who voted No to voluntarily give the District money.

I hope you will be giving.

Pleasanton oldtimers say they love the schools, now.
(ooh ooh ooh)
Now we all do what we can do.
I try to not let Prop 13 bother me,
does your conscience bother you?
(tell the truth)

The Board members just "don't understand it yet". Maybe the Board should take an economics class. If the voters were certain that 100% of the tax revenue would go toward hiring NEW teachers, which is the basic requirement for reducing class size, things might be different. That means salaries and benefits must be frozen for existing teachers and administrators - as they are for most others in the community today. As it stands, Measure E did nothing but allow more built-in raises for the existing teachers. As long as teachers and administrators get automatic raises, and as long as the teacher's union insures that MERIT cannot be used as the principal factor in giving raises, laying off, etc., my vote will be NO. The Board should count on having more organized resistance to any new parcel tax that does not address the fundamental problem. Measure E was a joke, and it would have gone down by a larger margin if the election had been held at the polling place during a regular election with even more at stake.
Bill

" Could be a good day to be a private school."

Have you seen the quality of private schools around here? I'm speaking of Carden West and Quarry Lane School in particular. I'll take a PUSD with 20 days less rather than send my remaining school age children to one of those again.

It is time for our school board to actually grow a pair and press the union! I think we have great teachers in this district that may realize they have a great gig here in Pleasanton, but are saddled by the union, telling them how to vote, what they can and can't do for the kids in their classroom, etc. Why are we letting the union hold us all hostage??? Come on!

If you voted for Prop E. then drive down to the PUSD offices and hand over your check!

Better yet, I'd like to see the supporters of Prop. E call for this action and actually see how many Pleasanton redicents actually show up with a check (!)

I'll believe it when I see it.

To the teachers and children: I am sorry Measure E did not pass, please remember there are more than 64% of Pleasanton families, parents, seniors who support the schools.

As a PTA parent, volunteer, and someone who understands how much work it really is to be teacher, regardless of those who think it is a "part-time" job, I will continue to support our schools. I will continue to find ways to volunteer and fundraise to fill in the gap in funding that will appear next fall. I hope that all those who voted no, will be willing to step forward and participate and donate to their local PTA's, as more and more those units are being asked to cover things like "rats" for biology classes (HPMS-PTA covered that this year). My son was already complaining about not being able to do research at AVHS library after school, as it was only open to 3:30. Maybe the AVHS-PTSA can fundraise to pay to keep the librarian next year.

Since over 33% of citizens in Pleasanton who voted, were afraid of supporting "teacher salaries", I hope you will step into your local school and join the PTA (you don't have to have a student in the school to join), volunteer to fill in the gaps and help fundraise. I don't know where else the teachers and schools can turn.

Count me in on working to get another measure in on the ballot as soon as possible. More marketing money spent in the next go around should supply the 1.5% needed to get the next measure passed. I'm counting the Measure E effort as a success for the Yes on E side. It was a good trial run. With more get out the vote money, the yes side will prevail in the next run.

Dont you DARE try to spend another $250,000 to put another parcel tax on the ballot. The people of Pleasanton have spoken so dont think we will tolerate you wasting this kind of money again ...

"If you voted for Prop E. then drive down to the PUSD offices and hand over your check! "

My kids go to pleasanton schools. My wife and I have donated over $4k in the past couple of years (auctions, CORE, on and on) to our school to keep the computer lab and the libraries open.
This is on top of property taxes which are much higher than a lot of you pay for the same value house.

All these union reforms you want have been talked about for 30 years. How come they were not fixed before, when your kids were in school? Why was it not such a dire problem then?

What is it about NO that's not understood?

Better put some thought into a new strategy like cost reduction because this avenue or pig has been roasted! I do not think the mail in thing would have held up in court anyway and if it had been tied to a regular vote it would have went down by a huge margin. How much money has been wasted so far on G and E? Let's see if our school board has the ability to think out of the box.

I think the vote against E was a vote against the teacher's union. It wasnt against the teachers, and certainly not against the kids or the town. We do care about property values, but we believe that was a baseless threat to get us to vote yes. Threatening it will hurt the kids is also another baseless threat. All of the teachers I know would do their jobs 100% whether or not E passed becasue they are professionals and they love the kids. All that remains in the unions who use scare tactics to trick you into giving them more money rather than them making sensible cuts like the rest of America has to do in this economy.

I agree with Joe.. We dont need to spend another $200K+ to bring it to a vote again. From what I read, the people that are for E are acting like they lost a football game. "We'll win next time. .we just need to spend more in the effort" I think they are just competitive people who dont like to lose but they have lost their ability to be practical or rational.

The fact is that in Pleasanton, and in the whole country and state, dont want to pay anymore in taxes. We all need to make cuts. This vote was a confirmation of this sentiment. Please respect our wishes and put your efforts into something more constructive like fundraisers or soliciting donations.

I teach in Pleasanton. Off the top of my salary I contribute close to 800 dollars a month to my pension and I am paying over 1900 dollars a month for a family health care and dental plan. Those of you who are focused on the step and column could go to the highest box on the step and column chart and subtract those costs from my gross pay before you tell me that I am overpayed. The step and column are available on the district site if you wish to look. My health care costs have gone up significantly in recent years, and I have lost additional thousands of dollars of gross pay to furlough days. I will teach summer school this year and so will continue to deliver a service to this community, but I am also developing a second income source beyond PUSD because I now am seeking money elsewhere in order for my family to have what they need. This means that the personal time I have formerly given to doing off the clock work for PUSD --doing the grading on those more complex or extra assignments, developing fresh material, responding to requests for extra help--goes away because I must find time to make the money necessary for my family and, to be blunt, why should I go the extra mile for a community that can't do the same for me? Being an excellent teacher requires considerable extra time, but when I can't keep up with increasing costs I have to settle for being merely okay instead to put the extra time into an extra money source.

Sincerely,

Nemo

P.S. Yes, this is during school hours, but my students have AP tests. Back to the grading now, which today I will finish on a couple of hours of my own time after school, though that will soon be curtailed.

Prop Taxes should be paid on the values of your home TODAY, not 20 yrs ago and we'd not have this problem.

I think the thing that disturbs me the most is how much money the district has invested to get both Measure G and Measure E on the ballots with the budget cuts we've been seeing to our education. In addition, the district is not addressing the points the opponents of Measures are bringing up. So now we're going to spend more money to put out Measure F to fight for putting more money into the pockets of school staff meanwhile my children are sharing text books with other students because there's not enough to go around. Honestly, I'm a little fed up with the misuse of school funds. Until the district addresses the issues that Measure E opponents have brought up such as pink slipping good teachers while keeping on burnt out tenured teachers and capping pay raises, I'll pay my $98 but it's going straight into classroom supplies so that I know my money is being allocated directly to the children.

The money spent on these ballots could have been donated to the schools

Nemo,

I agree with you that your salary is not too high, but what about that pension? Can we really afford to allow teachers to retire in their fifties? I don't see any reason a teacher should retire before 60, if he or she is healthy. I voted for Measure E and will vote for Measure F (or whatever they call it), and I know these changes have to be made at the state level, but retirement before 60 is something we just can't afford.

I would like to see some of the critics of the schools get involved and help push for reforms and change. Stop just criticizing and help.

The kids lost in this one. I am really sorry the measure did not pass.

The vast majority in this community supported this measure, so for those that are frustrated at the community - please note that a majority was supportive.


Thank you teachers...

"Don't you DARE try to spend another $250,000 to put another parcel tax on the ballot. The people of Pleasanton have spoken so don't think we will tolerate you wasting this kind of money again ..."

Actually Joe the MAJORITY of the people in Pleasanton have spoken and they do want the tax. Just not the SUPERMAJORITY so the once again, the IGNORANT MINORITY gets in the way of what is best for everyone.

This all boils down to a problem with government in California. Not our teachers, schools, school board or our kids yet they are the ones who lose.

I stayed quiet for the past few weeks, hoping that the parcel tax would pass.

But those who opposed it are right: no parcel tax of ANY size will EVER be approved in Pleasanton (because of the Tea Partiers).

Well, it was nice working for one of the top school districts in the state. Now begins the slow unwinding of our former greatness. Give it five years, and PUSD will be a shadow of its former self. The kids will be the ones who suffer as quality of education slips, which is the tragedy of this situation: a minority in the community have sabotaged our schools to satisfy some ideological jihad.

My only satisfaction is that the Tea Partiers who have destroyed PUSD will lose tens of thousands (at least) in the value of their homes. Cold comfort, since the majority of Pleasantonians who did vote for this very modest (27 cents a day) parcel tax will suffer along with the minority saboteurs.

Well, Tea Partiers, you've destroyed one of the best school districts in California, one of the best school districts in the USA. How does your victory feel?

The Yes people are the same people who keep voting the Democratic led legislature of California. They are the ones who have been running CA for the last 30-40 years and are RESPONSIBLE for the mess we are in.

We need fiscal conservatives running our state ASAP or we will never recover from the abyss we are in.

It time to take a different route but you all keep voting in for however will give you and your Pollyanna causes money from the State. You have no one but yourselves to blame.

"turn out the lights the party's over, they say that all good things must end, turn out the lights the party's over and tomorrow starts the same old thing again!"

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And to add insult to injury, i just heard on the news this morning that the Governor may need to cut 20 school days from the school year to balance the budget.
This absolutely sickens me, all of you who voted "no" on measure 'E', I hope you don't mind the children of Pleasanton wandering around the town with nothing to do for an extra 4 weeks a year.

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I voted FOR measure E. Have kids in school. But I always felt it is not a good idea to force other people who have no kids in schools to pay extra (beyond their state tax). I donated $400 laste year and will donate more this year to schools. After all, it is a lot cheaper than sending kids to private schools. And I would like the schools know their money does come from parents in THIS city and parents do expect a good education for kids.

If this is about the children, initiate a volunteer program that encourages the community to help out in the schools. I have heard that volunteerism is so high that you can't find an opportunity in the classrooms. Put more of these interested community members to work in the classroom before, during and after school! We have an awesome library in Pleasanton that we already pay for. Close the libraries in the schools and take your children to the public library.

You are so right 'To Joe': "This all boils down to a problem with government in California." And guess who has been calling the shots in our state govt for the past 50 years accelerating our decline? I'll give you a hint: It starts with a "D" and their macot is a jackass.
Until the poitical players change, we're stuck with a dysfunctional state heading into bankruptcy. Something to consider next time you're voting for 'change'.

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Some teachers sound dissatisfied that they have to pay towards their pension and also are subject to increasing healthcare costs. Please explain to me how this is worse than what happens to us in the private sector. All you need to do is hold you nose for a few decades (in which you cannot be fired) and they you cross the finish line with a generous inflation adjusted pension. You can then take another job in your 50's and supplement this pension. perhaps score another pension.

Look... its (supposed) to be a free market system. If you dont like your benefits, then LEAVE.. QUIT... MAKE A STATEMENT... Dont drag evryone else into your personal battle. If you feel you arent being compensated properly, then take off. If enough of you do that. then we will be forced to make teaching salaries more competitive to attract talent.

But the frank truth is that no teacher will leave. Many of them are just like ticks that are burrowed in and have no intention to take control of their career management. They will just squeal and threaten our kids. (What does your benefits/pension have to do with the the kids?)

If my salary stagnated or was cut.. I would say Later Dude... I wouldnt complain to the city, neighbors, friends. I wouldnt protest, or wear red shirts that the kids ask questions at home about.. I would just leave and let them refill the position with someone who would be happier with the pay. Pleasanton teachers can do the same.

[Portion removed because it referred to another removed item.] Throwing more money at a problem does not necessarily fix it. And calling your neighbors terrorists is not productive or professional behavior. Try another ballot measure if you must, but don't expect support with the name calling and vitriol exhibited in your posts. It's probably a good thing you're not in the classroom today.

Fix the problem at the State level, and there will be no more cuts to schools. But this State full of fools voted Jerry Brown into office AGAIN. He is the guy that got us into this mess in the first place...by allowing collective bargaining for pension benefits and opening the doors for the teacher and prison gaurd unions to take over.

I find it ironic that the liberals who supported this measure say that it is we that did not support it that "dont get it". With all the evidence across the country at the City, State and Federal level showing that Tax and Spend, entitlement, pro-union, anti-business, blind factless envoironmentalism (ie. Delta Smelt) policies are killing this country...who is it that doesnt get it?

Psuedo-intellectuals....puke!

Steve, thats what they do.. thats the defense (or offense).. They call you a terrorist and that your kids will suffer.

And 64% wanted to support people who call the parents of their kids terrorists?

I think a 5% paycut across the board, from janitors to superintendant would cure all this mess. Since the salaries are all being overpaid, this would even it out. I bet there would be no attrition. They would still have a pretty good gig here in Pleasanton. ...and that's what the rest of us in the real world have had to do in these difficult time. Until we are willing to take on the union, and do real adjustments we are just throwing money away. The no vote in this town was not about the kids, it was about the union and making some real changes.

You "YES" people really should read Ein Rand. Selfishness is a vilrtue. Why the hell should I pay for someone elses brat to have use of a liberary? Today is a proud day for Pleasanton. Stop trying to get me to pay for other peopel's brats. Are founding Fathers would say the samed thing.

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What today's losers from the DEMOCRAT party dont realize is that education is way over rated. Public education is socialism. It tries to get hard working people to pay for other people's problems. If you can't afford a private school dont have kids. CAn you HEAR me now? An if your kids cant afford private, well theres lots of fields to work in if we chased the illegals out of hear.

I, too, wish to extend my sorry and apologies to the children of our community. I am sorry for the excellent teachers that will lose their jobs. I am also sorry for the ignorance of slightly more than 33.33% of our beautiful city.

Another writer called it the ignorant minority: AMEN

This measure lost on the misinformation and deliberate lies of the naysayers who think they are going to affect change by denying the logical progress of a bureacracy: you affect change from within, not by being a roadblock to positive dialogue.

Several of you naysayers prefer to sterotype teachers, homeowners and even voters through your cheap dialogue and insults. One writer even had the audacity to suggest that all who voted "yes" are Democrats who voted in the incumbent governments. You simple minded fools! I am a life-long Republican who loves this city, who put his kids through PUSD and will continue to support this measure until we can correct the lies put forth by the "No on everything" people.

The people who voted "No on E" will ALWAYS vote "No" on Measure ___.

The main reason why this town doesn't support its schools is because the majority of people here do not have children currently attending school. They've already taken their share and have left nothing for the rest of us.

This town also is fairly conservative, with a large Republican base.

Support for social programs such as education? FUGGEDABOUTIT.

They, of course, will say they voted No because of step/column, teachers furlough days, whatever, but the reality is they will find fault with any tax.

If you want a community that will support its schools, unfortunately you will need to move to San Ramon, Lafayette, Cupertino, Palo Alto, etc.

So what if houses in these nice towns with good schools are $100K higher than they are here? We just saved our citizens $98/year!!!

Gloater:

It was almost a complete thought.. but we get where you are coming from... :)

It does'nt matter where I went to school. but I can tell you there's was no union. I can read are US COnstitution just fine. Abraham Linkin went to school at a fire place. Today is a time to celebrate. I rellish the losers having to pay there own way.

If defeating this measure causes PUSD and teachers union to renegotiate their contract and stop step increases and restructure retirement packages...then GREAT! This was the purpose or message the NO on Measure E wanted to send to PUSD by voting No, correct?

Let's think about that... you think that's gonna happen? Not holding my breath.

I was willing to spend the cost of one night out to help ease the pain, so to speak. I still am since I'll be making out a check to PUSD, like I did the last time the parcel tax didn't pass. I have siblings who pay $30,000 a year per child for private school because the alternative is too risky. Let's not watch a great public school system like PUSD crash and burn.

The only message the NO vote sent to the rest of the bay area was that over 35% of Pleasanton won't put their money behind their schools. Nevermind the real intention, this this the message we just sent...

I am now truly embarrassed to live in Pleasanton. I came from the peninsula and all of those parcel taxes passed. We moved here and every other family I know moved here because of the schools....what the hell else does Pleasanton have to offer? The peninsula is a much nicer place to live. The value of property here will not go back up, everyone who voted no should plan on staying in their homes for a long long time as they have lost massive equity in it. I am so disappointed, I am tired of trying to defend this town to my Stanford friends...obviously they are right, never should have moved here. It is abundantly clear that education is not valued. I will get out as soon as I can.

You 'yes on E' supporters need to stop the name calling and personal insults long enough to write your check to your favorite teacher. Then, re-examine the example you're setting for your kids and ours with your gracious losing effort.

Pleasanton is a great place to live and if you were happy someplace else please go back there. We did not move here because of the schools but rather because it was and still is a very nice community and the schools are fine but I do not like the socialist agenda some brought with them from other areas. If we needed money before we had fund raisers and did what we needed to raise the money but never did we work this hard to raise taxes to give as raises.

The unions (& PUSD) don't get that there are white collared UNemployed who are suffering, and are of an employment age where they will likely be suffering the rest of their lives. It might look like things are still OK as you drive by their home, but it's not the case.
Don't forget Obama needed to stick to his campaign agenda and focus his first year and half on health care for the inner-city uninsured...instead of JOBS, JOBS, JOBS for middle-class, middle-size companies, so the real tax-paying world continued to slide. Some of us won't be coming back period. Pampered public unions, and public institutions are clueless. IF and when our group is employed again, we'll talk then. National news just blab on about 8% unemployment, when CA, bigger than many states combined is still 12+% unemployed, the % is actually bigger as it ripples thruout the extended family generational circle. Open small manufacturing doors again. I know, Obama has tried and given Billions of our tax $ to a couple Ca solar companies that might be viable in 3-5 years ! thanks

I LOVE OUR SCHOOLS!

But I'm tired of a system where employees get automatic raises for time and education.

In the non-education world (because I do believe that teachers live in a real world too), I don't get an automatic raise for years at my job. I certainly don't get an automatic raise because I show my boss I took some classes.

If I want a raise, I have to prove that I'm more valuable to the company today than I was yesterday.

Too many teachers are on autopilot with time and education, making it harder and harder for them to leave a job they hate because they could never get paid the same amount anywhere else.

The entire system needs an overhaul.

I LOVE GREAT TEACHERS and I will be sure to support their programs with my additional financial support. But I'm tired of seeing too many teachers retire while still on the job, while other great, great teachers take home another pink slip and worry about next fall.

PUSD: You'll have my support when I see the administration at the school board office fully sharing in the sacrifice of our schools and our community. In this case, you all need to get real!

Cara

Just go away, and bring all your elitist freinds with you. Pleasanton used to be a good place to live until you Socialists came here.

[Post removed because was directed at another commenter and did not further the conversation]

"socialist agenda" This is the problem with this place...somehow it has become about democrats vs. republicans instead of about the schools! People listen to Sean Hannity and then somehow apply that to the Pleasanton school district. Think for yourselves people.

I went to graduate school at Stanford, sorry for having Stanford friends...but most of friends do come from there. How exactly does that make me a liberal elitist?

Kathleen, there is zero purpose or need for ANY county education offices in CA.. ! It's time for the public to understand how worthless county ed is and demand they be eliminated...they function only to PAY a few hugely OVERPAID administrators...who'll scream, but it's time for US to take this discussion back to the students IN the classrooms. We are fools to have ever allowed the creation of COUNTY Ed offices. Educate ourselves and eliminate. OUR education dollars can be better spent on our children, classrooms,...or good math teachers.

Im also a white collared UNemployed. If Obummer did'nt spent all our money on abortions and Nat'l Socialist RAdio, Id have a good white collared job noew. We'd all be swimming in jobs, jobs, jobs, an the white collared folks would have more money in there pockets. WE need to get rid of unions. And Obummer.

How is defeating the will of the majority a "democratic" process? 65% of the voters approve a measure and it still can't pass?

This is the real reason California is dysfunctional: we need a two-thirds majority, a "supermajority", to pass a crummy 27 cent a day tax. Same applies at the state level.

The real agenda of the one-third who voted against this measure is clear: they are ideologically anti-union and xenophobic. Cara, they WANT you to leave this town and take your progressive ideas with you. Support for the schools in this town fell when non-whites and "outsiders" (i.e., people who weren't third- and fourth-generation Pleasantonians) started moving in here for the quality schools.

The natives want the "furriners" gone, especially the non-white ones.

Well, they will get their wish, perhaps, and turn Pleasanton back into the isolated white-bread community it once was. The world outside Pleasanton will move on, grow, and progress. Pleasanton will just slip further and further into irrelevance.

Public education is SOCIALISTIC. DONt you people GET IT??? We are all going to hell in an hand basket. If we dont' WAKE UP we 'll all be WHITE COLLARED and jobLESS.

[Post removed because was directed at another commenter and did not further the conversation]

YAT, you say the system is broken. One of the reasons we have the super majority is because of the exclusions in the process. We have seniors that can vote for the tax and exempt themselves from paying it. We have renters (mostly of apartments) that can vote for it and will not have to pay (an apartment building of 200 units still only pays $98 for the whole complex). If we could find a way where only the people who would pay the tax can vote on it, then going to a simple majority would be fair.

YAT, is is scary on what you are saying and your racist views. And to believe you are a teacher of our kids! You seem very unhappy here. I believe you should find another job, or move to another community. Then you can be replaced by a more accepting teacher.

Yet Another Teacher: [Portion removed because it referred to another removed post.] I wish the town would revert back to "white-bread" as you say. It has gone from a happy town to an agressive overpopulated commute-clogged hub full of morons who used teaser-rate loans to jack up the home values to bubble levels and have the "what's in it for me" attitude when it come to everythig.

[Portion removed]

Those who care more about the school scores, overscheduling the kids in sports, and who have two jobs to keep house prices high than they care about their kid's emotional well-being.. Please leave.

I think these people would be franky be happier in someplace like Cupertino, so please make a real sacrifice for your kids and get a townhouse there and please leave my town!

What if equate our military with our education system? Both support the well being of of country. Both have costs that are huge but we up til now have decided that the return on investment was worth it. Both are paid for from taxes.

I guess you should call our military socialistic, too.

Really, imagine your lives without your govt. - no security, no law, no education, no consumer protection, no medicare -- actually you just need to see what's going on in places like Rwanda and Afghanistan.

So either call all our govt programs socialistic or stop trying use McCarthistic scare tactics by calling public education socialistic.

[Post removed because it did not further the conversation]

It is probably best then that the reduction in funds come from a reduction in the number of school days. Four less weeks of school would save a lot of money (but wouldn't do much for supporting the students in the competitive educational environment) - But the money has to come from somewhere. Perhaps we start the school year after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day. Also, I am not sure the opponents to this measure have really had all the accurate information. It is unfortunate for the students, the teachers, and the community.

Fair is FAir hasnt' read our US Constitution. The militia are formed to protect us from the moslems and illegals. No where is public socialist education with union fashists mentioned. Be a good citizen. Learn how to read.

I am laughing out loud at all the the naysayers who say they turned out just fine with a "less than the highest quality" education. Many of their postings are filled with bad grammar, bad spelling and incorrect punctuation.

Go out, hug a teacher and apologize for being so closed-minded!

"Dont you DARE try to spend another $250,000 to put another parcel tax on the ballot. The people of Pleasanton have spoken so dont think we will tolerate you wasting this kind of money again "

Too late for that, the process is already in motion, and it is likely going to be more than $250,000 spent this time. We lost that the last battle, but not the war. Measure E got us to within less than 1.5%. We can close that gap with the next one.

BOO HOO we lost what are we to do now? I know we'll all throw hissy fits and call everyone names who don't agree with us. We'll also take our toys and go home.

Here is what 'NO' means:
FOR teachers
FOR students
as long as the implementation of standards is fiscally sustainable. A sustainable system is one that can be 'perpetuated indefinitely' without threatening and diminishing resources. We are long-term thinkers. We want responsible administration. We do NOT have this currently.

Solutions (a partial list) for the path forward:
1. STOP automatic, S&C increases. A merit based system MUST be implemented locally. So many parents spend time in the classrooms, we probably know much more than the principals about who is effective and who is not. Students also need to have input. We can work together on agreeable criteria for this.


2. Institute a community wide volunteer program. SF has done this for over 40 years! Our Board of Trustees MUST take a stronger position with the unions because when this was suggested recently, APT claimed this was 'taking away their jobs'. Did you know that parents cannot even vacuum classrooms with headlice cases because this threatens a custodial position???!!! We said we would volunteer at Amador library to keep it open longer and the doors were shut in our faces! Not ok.

3. Get back to basic education with science, math, reading, writing. In trying to be excellent, PUSD has lost its way. For example, a report card in elementary has a single line item for SCIENCE while SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT is 5. MATH has 11 line items yet WORK HABITS has 13. This is crazy!!! So, our child is will be a very nice and polite Starbucks employee, but yet won't be able to know what to do as a surgical nurse!

4. Encourage a more balanced system of leadership between the PUSD administration and certificated employees. Currently, there seems to be a complete lack of checks and balances. School board trustees should NOT be members of a PTA, PTO, PFC, or previous or current teacher. Their views are too biased.

Let's move forward with LOCAL REFORM!!!!

Wonderful Pleasanton Schools ... I think the results are not good because of the schools but because of the parents who pay attention. My daughter has poor quality substitutes all the time and until I started studying with her every day, her grades didn't improve. They have a nice band in school, but virtually all kids there are taking music lessons outside of the school. I the Asian tiger parents consistently deliver better grades for their kids.

My point is most of the people who live in Pleasanton didn't study here. These are the best people from all over the world. The have respect for education and their kids will show good results with any teachers or schools.

It's not the results are good because of the schools only. It's also because the area has the best students and parents too.

Ok, here is the way to get it through. Let's vote for a $10 000 parcel tax for people making over $200 000 a year. I'm sure that way by buying not only seniors but most of the middle class they'll get 67% for sure and the small number of people will be compensated by a huge amount. That would be democracy in action. Or the logical development of the idea or trying to bribe the seniors.

New Fish,

You bring up a good point and maybe we should benchmark Mission San Jose High School in Fremont because academically we are not anywhere near them and yet their teachers make $20,000 dollars less per year than ours. I do not think money is at all the answer but rather parents working with their kids and staying home with them rather than working.

I have been talking to neighbors and friends all morning. Most of my friends voted yes, and so did I, but most of my neighbors voted no. I wanted to know why. Here is some of what I was told:

- the parcel tax campaign was led by board members, and that was not okay with some. Board members should have been studying ways to deal with the deficit while keeping cuts away from the classroom - instead they went on as usual, with raises and all and actively campaigned for measure E.

- the 98 amount per year would not have been enough even for raises, so they were not confident PUSD knew what they were doing, and had fiscally questionable practices.

- the bond tax was mentioned as a poor fiscal practice

- some were on the fence until the end and were turned off by the yes on E arguments, especially the one about not using the money for raises. People knew the money would be indirectly used for raises. No trust


I did not agree with what I heard, but if we are going to try for a parcel tax again, we need to reach out to all the community. No name calling, no covering up of facts like raises, no board member sending emails on behalf of the campaign - leave that to the PTA leaders

Proud white collared, you are pathetic hard-core union,defending your union status-quo...MOCKING GENUINE unemployed middle-class that you so despise, since you have risen above the problems of real world middle class. Your posts are always so obvious, and so chicken S***. You want to KEEP the overpaid public employees in the money-suckin COUNTY Ed, and you know there is nothing positive to be said for keeping it open...so you ridicule and mock the unemployed who previously contributed to our GDP output...now we're sinking and your greedy jr high mentality to suck all you can will not help us get back to full employment...so we could then pay all you public employees what you want..NO amount of childish mockery will get you what you want the way it is now.

Resident,

I think the biggest reason is that most of the people who voted NO are tired of taxes, hurting financially, and are completely put off by the teachers union. The other reasons I heard is that it was not fair to all and their was no shared sacrifice, renters, apartments, seniors, disabled etc. and as you state the raises for teachers and unfortunately teachers who are high senority and not doing such a good job.

Classified Employee- You need to get your facts straight. The teacher's union did not vote against furlough days because it wasn't an option.

Do not get mad at the teachers because you guys didn't take the stand that you wanted. Get mad at your leaders for making furlough days an option. Seems like your leadership is lacking.

I'm hurting financially too, which is why I will have to vote no on furlough days if it is brought to the table this year. It goes both ways.

My voting strategy has become dead simple for measures such as these: If it involves increasing taxes, I vote *NO*. I realize many people are willing to continue handing increasingly more money over without any *guarantees* that any good will come out of it. I am not. The high taxes that are already in-place are seriously holding me back financially and it's time to stop the hemorrhaging.

If you need more money earn it. Increase taxes and watch the economy continue its mad dash towards oblivion. It doesn't get more simple than that folks.

I'm paying some attention to my child school and it's amazing how people keep talking about "the best schools". Let me tell you something. The teachers there are NOT all equal. A lot of them don't know their subjects, have bad attitude and no repect from the students. And guess what, there is nothing parents can do about that. They'll get their raises and their job is becoming more and more secure year after year. This is so wrong!!! The schools need a plan to improve. Better programs, better teachers. And all we hear is just give us more money to keep the things as is. That is some shameful.

[Post removed because was directed at another commenter and did not further the conversation]

I am disappointed by the result of the vote. It was close . . .

We need to move on practically and shorten the school year by a couple of days (I think we're allowed to go to 175 days) so that we don't have to lay off teachers and reduce programs for the kids. It's the only sensible way ahead.

If you feel the district is worthy of more financial support, don't make them waste money on a ballot measure to get it. Just go give them a check.
Now that we are not forced to contribute to the schools, everyone who is a supporter of teachers and students should just write a check to the programs he/she supports, I would recommend making it payable to PUSD Barton Reading Program, a low-cost, mostly volunteer-run program which makes a big difference for many kids.

PUSD can't fool 66.7% of the voters in Pleasanton (yet). Voters were willing to consider taxing property owners if they saw some real indications by the PUSD to get salaries and benefits under control and to cut non-classroom staff such as "counselors" and more administrators.
The dishonest and illegal actions with refinancing an earlier bond also did not give voters any confidence.
Lastly, the promotion of the measure to seniors based on them being able to file for an exemption was just plain dishonest. State law allows the exemption, but using this as a sales gimmick is shameful.

[Post removed because was directed at another commenter and did not further the conversation]

If you don't think the unions are trying to control and effectively destroy what is left of this state then read this and self reflect a little bit.


Web Link

I am totally saddened by the lack of respect that we Americans have for one another.These posts are filled with such anger and hostility that it brings down the city of Pleasanton. I understand the disappointment by many, but name calling and verbal attacks solve nothing. If you voted in favor of the tax, you can still donate your money to the school district. If you opposed it, then move on.

I'm very sad Measure E was defeated. I have a young family and we have had the best and the brightest teachers so far and all of them will be loosing their jobs, I'm so sorry for them.

I was wondering, now that E has been defeated, it seems that the only way to save some of these great teachers is through negotiated items such as: cutting 7th period day, cutting out reading specialists, furlough days, etc.

Can the school district unilaterally cut 10 day's off the school calendar, or is that something that also needs to be negotiated with the APT?

Anyone whose read Carl Marx knows he wanted progressives income tax and public education. And he thought unions were good things. Nuff Said!!!

There was no money spent on a no on E campaign, no high priced consultants, no district or community resources used, no glossy fliers sent. The yes on E camp spent over $70,000 in community contributions, they phone banked and did a last minute push for those yes votes. They annoyed 150 voters enough to submit last minute NO ballots. Imagine the outcome if there had been a no campaign. The facts spoke for themselves.

The only ones who won here are the high paid consultants, no wonder they want to do it again.

ROV just posted an updated total:
An additional 520 ballots were counted, all of the yes phone calls generated 150 last minute NO votes.

13,800 65.31% Yes

7,330 34.69% No

Last night:
YES 13,430 65.16%
NO 7,180 34.84%

I feel that there is a mismanagement of funds in the school district. Everyone has to realize that these are hard times where they are trying to balance the US budget, the California State budget and household budgets. Gas prices are going up. So, do we ask Pleasanton residents to pay more taxes so that one part of an entity in the city can survive. It should start at the top like it did with the SF Police Chief who refused a pay increase and asked his top aides to do the same.

There is also the aspect of collecting $98 from 65% of the people who voted YES. Have them step forward and be counted. Its all tax deductible.

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment]

If you are not happy with what you have now, how could you be happy with more? Maybe now be can get down to business and realize the need for reform. I think this is where most of the No's are coming from. Until we stop pandering to the union, nothing will change...

Don't worry dear residents of P-Town, WE'LL BE BACK! Wherever we can manage to guilt the local citizenry into assuming that their current way of life will cease to exist if the local __________________ (insert your favorite publicly funded municipal organization) doesn't get the tax dollars it needs to stay afloat.

The scary thing is THEY will be back next year. There will be another focus group and survey conducted which will state that without a doubt Pleasanton residents will completely support a new property tax assessment of let's say...$42.18. Not that it matters that $42.18 or $98 or even $233 would have made any appreciable difference to the PUSD's operational budget, helped CSR or funded S & C for it's members. Because in reality if they ever told us how much it would REALLY cost the taxpayers to fix the mess they created there would be a revolt to such extent that the villagers would finally gather their torches & pitchforks to storm the "PUSD Castle".

We don't need to tell you a 3rd time folks, CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! Get your internal finances in order, reign in your expenses, get rid of the dead weight in management (may I remind you of the Asst. Dir. of Nutritional Development who makes $106K/year!) halt S & C, revise your pension plans & benefit programs and during these down times learn to live within your means.

Now go & celebrate an early Cinco de Mayo with a nice cold margarita. Way to go P-Town thanks for standing up to the gangsters!

I voted for Measure E, but i can see now that I was dooped by the unions. Yesterday I watched a moovie about Superman. If he were alive today, he'd take the whole kittenkaboodle of teachers, toss them down the drain, and hire a new batch.

don't have the hour or so to read ALL the comments so someone may have already suggested this but why don't the 14,000+ people who want to contribute $98.00 to the PUSD, just do it? that'd be a start. just curious!

Marx fourtold what we are now going through. Let the teacher unions come in and form a dictatorship of the porletariet, endoctrinate our youngsters, and pooooof! we end up with a fool's dictatorship like they have in Swedan. Liberals WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!! No means NO!!!!!!!!

I agree with gary. who has time to read. Its rediculous. The Yes-Sir to any union command followers lost by a hansome margin. GET over it. Go buy your teacher a sanwich. I hear their starving.

I have a child in a Pleasanton elementary school and I voted No for one simple reason: I don't like the "service" my child is getting! In 3 years in Pleasanton schools we've experienced more than one teacher who's retired in the job, yet can't be fired (and getting our child out of that worthless classroom took months!). We've experienced a curriculum that tries so hard to teach to every possible learning style that it just serves to confuse the majority of children. We've worked in the classrooms, identified areas where we could help, and been told NO because it would violate some union policy. We've lost an exceptional principal to retirement to have him replaced by a bureaucrat who hides behind office staff.

Because we value education above nearly anything else, we're scrimping, saving and sacrificing to take our child to a private school next year. No amount of money is going to fix a system with fundamental flaws. Nothing we heard from the Yes on E campaign convinced us to change our perception of the district. No amount of local parcel taxes will have an influence at the state level that can fix some of these issues. What would actually fix the system would be the 65+% who voted formeasure E, joined by those of us who voted No, DEMANDING that Sacramento become more fiscally responsible. Unfortunately that's not likely to happen, judging by the finger pointing and name calling on this site.

The fundamental problem is the public unions, NOT their rank and file members. Taxpayers pay salaries to teachers, firefighters and others, who are forced to pay part of their salaries to unions, who then use those same tax dollars to negotiate AGAINST the interests of the taxpayers for the benefit, NOT of those teachers and firefighters (not in the long term anyway, as we're now finding out) but to further their own poweras a union.

"don't have the hour or so to read ALL the comments so someone may have already suggested this but why don't the 14,000+ people who want to contribute $98.00 to the PUSD, just do it? that'd be a start. just curious!"

Because we already know Measure F will be coming. They are already talking about it. If they get the 1.5%, we will be paying twice. Heck, I'm don't mind paying twice, but I can't speak for everyone else.

Mark,

Do you actually think for a moment the school board is going to endorse dumping another $250,000 on another initiative? I certainly don't and believe they would look foolish and they know it. I do not believe that this vote in thing they tried would have held up and if they had put it on the ballot in another election it would have gotten slaughtered. No, I think they need to try something new. What was it Einstein said?, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result".

As a union member (not the teacher union) I hope the teachers and their union now work the rule. Don't take home any work. Do NOT grade papers, Do NOT lesson plan at home. Lock your doors before school, during brunch, during lunch, and leave right after school. Do NOT write any letter of recommendations, Do NOT offer any tutoring. Do NOT offer your time for any extra curricular activities, Do NOT coach the sports teams, or offer to proctor any test like the SAT or PSAT. Do NOT spend any of your own hard earned money on any classroom items. Let the parents of Pleasanton do this.

Hey Union Man, WAKE up! Ive been home schooling my kids for years because what you said is what all of 'em do all all the time anyway. They're all a bunch of slackers. This isn't the American WAY! Its union this, union that, and your part of the problem. If you can't fix the problem get out of the way. I'd sooner roast in hell then give more money to the teacher union blood suckers. Enough is Enough!

Union man,

there you go let's show them how the union is out to help the kids! Afterall, the teachers said it was not about them and the kids were most important. True colors and coming out.

" why don't the 14,000+ people who want to contribute $98.00 to the PUSD, just do it? "
Because they wanted you to pay it!

I just went to PSD web site hoping to find out something like a budget. The are spending taxpayers money, would it be not reasonable to expect some clarity? How much money they get, how much is being spend, what the salaries are per category etc.

It's funny that it's easier to find out information about a typical "evil" "greedy" publicly traded company than about publicly funded not for profit school district.

Does it give you a feeling of trust?

I hope you do go for a initiative F because as I write this I am printing off all of these comments by teachers, union people, etc and am going to use them as part of the no on F effort to show what people really thought about the community and Pleasanton residents in general. Keep those insults and nasty comments coming!!!

Godbe Research? How about Goodbye research.
If you want to pay someone money to tell you what you want to hear, go for it. $250,000 plus Godbe's take down the drain.

Ok PUSD board. Measure F here we come!

Un frigin believable

Liz......

Thanks for the best laugh of the day. Spot on, Dearie. Your hilareous....

How about an measure and vote to make it a requirement for any union contract with either city workers or the teachers union to go before a vote of the citizens before it can be agreed to? I bet that would ruffle some feathers and break up few cozy relationships between the city and unions.

Mike-That is a GREAT idea. But lets make sure its a true vote, where the simple majority wins. Let the people of Pleasanton have a real voice and say of how things are done around here. Let the truth really come out. Let the community know how much a teacher in this town really makes after paying for health care.

big Head Mike

be Careful what you wish for. There seem to be around 14,000 Communists living in P-Town who might vote for the union dictators.

We are not forcing anyone - this is a community - a unified body of individuals and retirees can opt out of the PT. when they were young and had their children they received help but now that the shoe is on the other foot..they say no. well they had better get their butts out there and volunteer to help with the bake sales, garage sales and anything else we can think of to drum up money because we are gonna need it...volunteers don't get paid though sorry ...they do it outta the kindness of their hearts but the way things are going ...don't worry we won't expect much heart....

Nice try [removed] but 2/3's approval for any tax increase in this state and if it is worth it then I bet these contracts would have no problem being approved. I suggest you be very wary and read this link first before agreeing. I am all for it because I do not think the people running this city nor the school board are capable of making good financially viable decisions.


Web Link

Thats telling them Big Head Mike. You're words is good as gold nuggets. THANKS for taking the words right out of mine mouth!!!

The nature of the American culture is that people don't like free-loaders and will act accordingly. Therefore, while 65% will happily vote to pay the $98 tax, not all 65% will send in the check because they'll be pissed that others don't have to also.

Now I will cover for at least 20-40 of you free-loaders by sending in plenty of money this year and each year into the future. Sure it bothers me that the free-loaders get all the benefit of that and put nothing in, but my family still gets a benefit, so I'm going to do it.

And maybe instead of a Measure F, the focus should be on getting out the word to those other supporters that there are many of us who are sending in money. We're not hypocritical. We can help folks can get past the fact it sucks there are free-loaders and just go forward to support the schools.

Like others have said...All you "Yes" voters...just drive down to the PUSD offices and hand in your check!

I'm not voting yes until I see the teacher's union make some real concessions to the economic realities...Oh, right they agreeed to reduce their raises. Tell that to people like me who haven't seen a raise in nearly three years. The teacher's union needs to wake up.

And if there are No on E folks out there who are so outraged about the school board, or how money is being spend, or about the raises, BUT say that they support the schools and such, then show some leadership on that.

Along with Yes folks, make a donation directly to a specific school need. We're new to the community, so I don't yet know if the schools publicize their specific needs (they should!) But if so, pick one of those projects and be the benefactor. Pay for a bus for a field trip. Get the materials for a special science project. Figure out how you can help directly - and KNOW EXACTLY where your money is going.

We donate to a university too, and we get great letters and calls from students telling us exactly how or money helped the program -- a new computer, an extension of library hours, etc. Really connects you with the difference you can make personally, and how much it's appreciated by those receiving the help.

(Of course, if you come from the perspective that we are all alone individuals who shouldn't help each other and such, then perhaps a cabin deep in Montana is a better place for you than living in a civil society which is fundamentally based on the idea of community and support.) Cheers!

Shame ... Shame on you!!!!!

Your the free loader. Why expect free citizens to pay for your kids? Have you read Ayne Rand's objectivism? She tells us to be selfish and hold on to our money. Now what's wrong with those apples?

Not one of these initiatives to add a parcel tax has said what it will actually do. Saying what it won't be used for doesn't help. What has been done to help address the problems now and in the future? You want a parcel tax - where is the accountability? If you say, seniors need to reapply and then have Jeb write that someone in Pleasanton offices will do it for you - that does not change the initiative (just your expectations.)

"If you voted for Prop E. then drive down to the PUSD offices and hand over your check! " I agree.

Now if you say, we need X amount for such and such program, and I agree - I'll be down to PSUD with more than that money you wanted for the parcel tax. I contributed to different programs and funds when my kids were in school. I still support certain groups and our kids are no longer here. However, that program better had accountability or they won't see a penny from me the next year.

Until there is a plan, there is no way I'm contributing to the waste in the PSUD - and I don't mean the teachers at all.

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This town needs a parcel tax like I need a hole in the head

Actually I voted against prop E, but I did participate in fundraisings for the school band and brought in more money that $98/year. I'm glad to help a good cause. But I have no trust in the PSUD.

"Now if you say, we need X amount for such and such program, and I agree - I'll be down to PSUD with more than that money you wanted for the parcel tax. I contributed to different programs and funds when my kids were in school. I still support certain groups and our kids are no longer here. However, that program better had accountability or they won't see a penny from me the next year."

Me too. Sad thing is, I would have contributed $50,000.00 to the parcel tax if only it had been written more clearly.

Me too - you are allowed to specify what you want money to go to on your check if you send it to the district. So you can say the money can only be spent on reading specialists or whatever program that is on the cut list that you value.

I was testing PUSD, and it failed. Too bad. Maybe next year.

Fix the EXCESSIVE PENSIONS - then I will vote for a tax increase.
If we do not fix PENSIONS soon most of our tax money will be going to retired Police, Fire Fighters, and Teachers/Administrators. - - - - I have worked in the private sector for well over 30 years and our Pensions are puny compared to government union employees in general.

And I do not want to forgive my retirement income for theirs.

After reading all the posts with spelling and grammar errors I now understand now why Measure E failed. Adults in this community don’t take education seriously.

Well G is over and E is over so we need to take a look at cost reduction and elimination of non essential services within the district. I am defining everything as non essential other than core teaching of math, reading, science etc. band, drama, sports all that is out. Additionally, our school board needs to man up and take on the union and get some salary concessions so we can move our salaries down to say Dublin, San Ramon, or Livermore. Hard to pay our teachers more than the market demands unless we are stupid.

I'm seeing teachers complaining about $100,000 salaries for 9 months of work (which is executive pay in many companies) -- but I've also heard they work after school at those tutoring places like Sylvan. Does anyone know how many are doing this? Seems sort of a conflict of interest, isn't it? I mean, where's the incentive to do more than the minimum at PUSD if you can make another whole salary as a contract tutor to teach the same stuff to maybe even the same students? Just wondering.

The Tea Party/conservative mindset will ruin this town. Mark my words. They don't value public education. Plain and simple.

$100k is "executive" salary?!?!? What are you smoking?? Maybe in Montana.

Look at Salary.com - an "Accounting Manager" in 94566 has an average base of $99k and $140k in total comp. That isn't anywhere CLOSE to an executive position.

Click here to verify: Web Link

Here's an executive position - CFO. Base of $400k; total comp of $690k. Welcome to this century.

Web Link

We all need to live within our means - government included.

What will ruin our country is run-away deficit spending. Everyone's standardard of living (except maybe CEOs, wall street and government employees) is and will continue to decline to pay off our already massive debt. The longer this goes on, the more future generations will pay.

Do you honestly believe fiscal prudence will ruin this town? Really?

Freeze the salaries, do away with the union contract that assures tenure at two years employment, and I'll vote Yes next time.

Read our lips...NO MORE TAXES. If people are so concerned about the children and the quality of Pleasanton schools, take some responsibility and find other ways to raise additional funding for the district. All of the people whining about it being "only $98 per year" should take out your checkbook and write a check payable to the PUSD. If the 13,430 residents that voted "YES on E" did that, you'd contribute $1.3 Million to the cause.

My family has supported the Pleasanton schools for the entire 15 years we've lived here. We continue to support PUSD through property and state taxes although our kids no longer attend PUSD schools. So the charge that "NO" voters don't care about children or quality public education is a thoughtless one. And it doesn't work.

3 "NO" vote household...

Here is a link to what is happening in our schools
Web Link

You support PUSD schools through taxes because you are forced to pay it, so please don't act as though it's through the kindness of your heart. If you weren't forced, you would try to pay as little as possible. Don't worry, your property value is sure to go down and once you have it reassessed, you will give even less to PUSD.

For those of you who voted against E because you think we all need to "tighten our belts and suck it up" ... well get ready to tighten yours because the cuts to your property value are coming. Oh ... and don't complain that it seems like the kids are NEVER in school anymore because they will likely be getting a lot more days off.

It sure is easy to spend other peoples' money, isn't it?

Well, those days are done. 50% of households in this country pay on effective taxes and the super wealthy pay on average 17% (due to favorable capital gains rules), which leaves the burden of exploding government on the remainder - us.

I pay 37 cents of every dollar I earn to taxes. That is more than enough. While I consider myself quite progressive on social issues, I will go out of my way to ensure that my tax bill does not go up any further.

Typical mindless dribble by some of the haters here. I'm talking about the name callers...probably union bosses pretending to care about the children when really what they care about is the vacation home or weekend toys union dues and other people's money affords them. Yeah, great way to win support for your cause. But I can tell you are NOT a product of quality public education.

Family meeting here and we will change our votes from yes to no next time if another goes up. We need to live within our means

To ? in Amador Estates -- you might want to check up on the difference between income taxes and payroll taxes before you continue to advance that "50% pay nothing" inaccuracy.

See here for an explanation: Web Link

It seems to me that there's a big difference between voting about measure E and evaluating one's overall tax burden. Unless, of course, there's no such thing as a "good tax" -- one that provides services worth paying for.

I'm glad to know, regardless of the consequences of the vote, that the majority of voters in this town believe that our schools provide services worth paying for. Education is an investment in the future, and when we skimp on that investment, society suffers.

"why don't the 14,000+ people who want to contribute $98.00 to the PUSD, just do it? that'd be a start. just curious!"

As of 2008 there were ~13850 students in PUSD.
13800 votes were cast in favor of E. Seems like almost all the Yes votes were from families with kids in school, and all the NO votes were from those whose kids already graduated. (Or those who don't have kids, and want mine to pay for their retirement entitlements.)

Let me tell you, school parents are donating a lot of money each year to keep basic education going in Pleasanton. Much more than $98. I never thought I'd have to spend thousands of dollars extra for my kids to get just get a decent public education (one with a library, computer based Math, and basic school supplies like pencils).

Even the best students produced by CA and the rest of the US are 1 to 2 years behind the best Chinese and European students in Math and Science. I know from direct experience trying to compete with them in college and grad school.

The school science fair tradition is 100% parent volunteer. There would be no GATE program for our best students if it was not for a single, dedicated parent at our school. Budget cuts.

It seems the rest of the Pleasanton community doesn't care. I want to know what percentage of property taxes is paid by families with kids in school (more recent home purchases). Maybe we would see that the 'welfare state' is not just over in Oakland, its right here.

These kids need to have a good education to create jobs to pay for the Medicare and SS that you receive, and they will never get. If we really do get the reforms on tenure etc that are needed, and we decide to attract experienced engineers and business people into teaching, it will cost more than an extra $98 to produce the students this country needs.

Finally, how can you say teachers do not contribute to GDP? How could I have gotten a Ph.D, and generated key patents for two startup companies without the teachers I had as a kid?

"do away with the union contract that assures tenure at two years employment"

Are you quite sure that is something PUSD can do on its own, or isn't it something that can only be done at the state level? At any rate, I will be working hard on getting Measure F on the ballot and will be voting for it.

To those who insist that the no voters are all people without kids, etc, and that if one voted no they don't care about the community's children: first, we are still paying for the facilities your children use while many of our children suffered through the construction and often did not benefit from the finished facilities (we knew that would happen when we voted); second, many of us have grandchildren in the schools now; third, many of us did fundraising then and contribute/donate still. It would be nice if we could have a collective dialog about the issues and how to address them rather than saying all the yes people are X and all the no people are Y. My question now is how we can move forward, and I think that means here and in Sacramento.

"What was it Einstein said?, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result"

That quote is almost certainly mis-attributed.

Web Link

There doesn't appear to be any record of it in any of his writings, and it doesn't sound like the kind of thing Einstein would have said. In quantum mechanics, a branch of physics Einstein played a large role in inventing, an experimenter does perform exactly the same experiment over and over and expects different results. He expects different results because of the principle of indeterminacy.

Web Link

In the case of Measures G and E, we already have different results -- 62% and 65%. We should expect the same from Measure F. Yes on Measure F.

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Get a load of Ann with the big brain. Do Ann or the other libs and commies really think they can outsmart us? I've been posting for a long time and the best tactic is to not read the long posts by the elitest. Just ignore them or change the subject. They think their so smart. But we won. And that proves us smarter then them. Right is right and liberal is wrong. Thats the principal of the matter. It drove my vote and my wife and dthe four we've got living at home with us.

I was giddy all day about saving money from the union theaves. I went into Starbucks and bought a Frappy Mocha Ventay just to celebrate. Everytime I go into Starbucks from now on I'm going to slap myself on the back for saving my money from the theaves. I wont donate a nickle unless they do away with the unions and pensions and tenure and seniority and high wages and early retirments and greed and no furloughs and no pays cuts. Lets' move forward people. Where do we go from here?

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This blog makes me so sad. The way (I presume) adults are taunting each other, slamming each other, gloating, fighting, I don't believe that I live in this community.

My real-life experience in this community does not include this kind of vitriol, so I must assume that this is "keyboard courage", AKA cowardice abetted by the ability to hide ones identity while posting hatred.

So, you hide behind aliases, and slam your neighbors. So what's to stop your neighbors from then making up their own aliases and slamming you? Nothing. They you see them at the next block party, and everyone is all nicey-nice.

Is this really how we want to interact? Is this the kind of community we want?

This blog could be so useful, sharing ideas, hashing things out in a respectful manner. But it's not, because of the anonymity factor.

Sure we don't all agree! That's a given. But can't we disagree respectfully?

This is just so ugly.

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All that touchy-feely stuff Mrs. Limesand talks about is fine and dandy. I been saying for years that the liberals on here need to stop calling namess. But thats' all they got Look at Mr Educated he thinks he's a smarty pants. Many guys and gals who write here are very intelligent. You cant' always say be the speller. because they might not have spell checker. But that doesnt bother the name caller Mr Educated. He doesnt have a argument. Just calls names.
Hes only a suedo intellectual.

I see other spellers on hear that make cents. Somebody said let the parents pay. Let em. Why do I have to pay for a libary when I dont use it? Why do I have to to pay for other peoples' kids to go to school when they should stop having some many? Why do I have to pay for goverment regulaters? I don't pollute. I dont' own miners. I dont' own a banks. Let the libary users pay for the books. Let the cool miners pay for their own safely. See there Mr Smarty Pants Mr Educated? No name calling is necessary. Just stick to the tissue. If you want to throw stuff at me because I dont' have a speller check dont' bother.

Kathleen Ruegsegger wrote: "My question now is how we can move forward, and I think that means here and in Sacramento."

Well, maybe you can start where you work, the Palo Alto School District. Palo Alto has $589 a year parcel tax, which generates $11.2 million annually for your employer. You can work just as hard to repeal that property tax as you have to defeat the far more modest one in Pleasanton, thereby forcing your own employer into the draconian "fiscal discipline" you seem to love so much.

Of course, once that $11.2 million is gone, I imagine one of the first people laid off will be...Kathleen Ruegsegger.

Is there some reason why Ms. Ruegsegger advocates against a very small parcel tax in the community where she pays taxes, but not against a very large parcel tax in the community where she draws her salary?

Oh, and before anyone says "Palo Alto is richer than Pleasanton"...ummm no it's not. Pleasanton has a higher per capita income than Palo Alto.

Maybe measure F can 'eliminate' even more contributors than seniors and be passed. Make the parcel tax a round number, like, say, $200.00 and get more money to the schools....then lay off teachers based on quality, not seniority....oh, the Unions...I forgot.....Measure G was 62.7 and measure E is 65.2, Measure F...70%, but that's only IMHO.

If you want to see socialism in action just read YAT and all the other teachers who trash anyone elses view points. Public education is socialistic. It makes me pay for your kids. Thats' not democracy. The socialists take our money and then tells the students to tear down America. Keep your hand out of my wallit.

Every time I think the bad grammar and spelling issues are just a joke, I fear they're not. And it's not a "spell check" thing, Liberty For All... that's fine for the accidental extra letter. But the errors here are coming from a failure of basic English. Eg. You used the word "cents" instead of "sense," "hear" instead of "here," and you typed "libary" twice. Those are not type-os, it's just illiteracy plain and simple. Why are you so proud of that? I hope you're just being satirical, but I doubt it.

And the one thing that could help bring this country more up to speed with our international competition is education. But if public education is now considered "elitist" then you can resign yourself to a declining quality of life and economic status. You think the truly elite should have private schools and the rest should work in the fields?

That just helps illuminate why the middle class is going away, and weakening education will simply hasten that.

The parcel tax is good for homeowners and all school age families.

We should approve the parcel tax and stop linking those proceeds to how they get spent. There is no end to that argument - bottom line is that we need more $$ in the City right now. If you disagree with the way the City spends or allocates any money, including education dollars, pension dollars, etc. I suggest we address that separately - that is a great and probably necessary debate during the tougher times which we have now.

Pleasanton homeowners should make a rational and selfish economic decision based on the linkage between the perceived quality of education in Pleasanton and higher home values. I suggest that we look at the parcel tax as a way to keep the property values high and stop linking to how we use that money. You have to look no further than the value of home in Livermore vs Pleasanton. Livermore has some great areas and the downtown is incredible - but people want to buy in Pleasanton because the schools. That difference in value is worth tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per home. Paying $100 per year or even $200 per year is worth it to protect the value you have. Think of it like insurance. We are all going to sell our home at some point and this will turn into real money at that point.

Pleasanton families with school age children should vote yes for the betterment of their children's education. There cannot be many families with school age children who did not come to Pleasanton, at least in part, for the better schools. This is an unplanned but necessary investment.

I am so tired of hearing this is a problem with overspending. The revenue has been cut. When this happens in the private sector people loose jobs because whatever they do to make money is no longer being done. You produce something, no one buys it and you stop producing the item. For schools it is just the opposite. When the budget gets cut, one must work harder for the same outcome. Time gets cut (furlough days) sections get cut (affects requirements) and class size goes up and still teachers are asked to produce at the same rate, or no, actually at a better rate because the state mandates that to meet API the school has to get everyone to the median score. The higher the school score the higher the median and the more difficult it is to maintain. Now couple that with a public who thinks that teachers should only get paid if they produce, while making it harder to produce, thereby perpetuating the cycle. ("I would be happy to pay you if only you did a better job, but I am now going to make your job exponentially harder because you have not done a good enough job.")

Pleasenton did not overspend, they worked within a substantially cut budget and then had the budget cut again. That will happen next year too. Last year the furlough days were placed on Friday's and Monday's giving the impression that the teachers were given extended weekends. The work to get students ready for STAR testing, AP testing or just ready for the next grade still had to be completed with less student contact time. If the furloughs had been placed in the center of the week or away from already scheduled breaks, parents would have had to deal with what to do with their child while at work. I don't know the cost of day care but I bet that $98 a year was far cheaper. The kids deserve better.

Now the state is talking about reducing the school year by 20 days. This is at a time when this country should be increasing the number of days that students are in school. We haven't done that because we don't want to pay teachers to do the job.

The people who said that they would support the parcel tax if teachers would freeze salaries are being disengenuious and naive. Those people would not support a tax under any condition.

The founders believes that our democracy depended on a well educated population. It is the cornerstone of our democracy. We behave as if education is a right because we mandate school attendance. We are short changing ourselves on a national level.

Please don't tell me that you are overtaxed compared to years ago. Please check this out. When Reagan was governor over $6 per 100 went to state taxes. Now it is just over $5 per 100. Unless you use creative math, that is a decrease in taxes not increase.

Finally, it is embarrassing that a community as affluent as Pleasanton can't pass a parcel tax. We turned down by about 1%, the equivalent of about 27 cents a day. Those realtors in the city who campaigned against the tax, please don't use our good schools as a selling point for the homes you have listed because you are doing it on the backs of the teachers that you and a vocal minority trashed.

Well, I make $9.50/hr....and just sent in my $100 check to PUSD. Just like I did when measure G failed. I have no choice to do private schooling. I have over the 13 years my children have been in PUSD schools only had (teachng) issues with 2 teachers, and have gotten to know many more. The majority of the teachers in Pleasanton schools are unselfish hardworking individuals, who genuinely care about the students. The last 4 years has depleted the administration and teachers from our schools. For those who don't have children in the district and have no contact with the schools other than PW news articles, there is nothing to cut now. Support your PFC, PTA, and Boosters clubs!

For teachers - I don't believe this failed because of the parents with children in the schools - it failed because of the misconceptions of those who DON'T have children in the schools. Please allow the parents who support to continue to support you. We couldn't get the parcel tax passed, but let us volunteer and fundraise for your classes in other ways.

We need to get beyond "why" this failed, and find a way to make the schools work with what we have. We need to do this for our children. Right now I don't care two hoots about S&C or pensions, I care only about supporting the teachers and the classrooms so they can continue to teach quality education to my children. I will have children in Pleasanton schools for another 9 years - I WILL NOT stand by and do nothing to help it stay a top-notch school.

Ernie, "I feel that there is a mismanagement of funds in the school district."

There are no funds to mismanage. Welcome to the current state of the economy? Yes, you're not seeing money spent to further innovative and successful programs because there is no magic money tree keeping these afloat.

Public education is a government entity. If you took the time to go through the district budget, you would see the majority of the line items are state-mandated. And what's more: We have several Title I schools in the district. If you think the district has any say on what we do with that funding, you may want to brush up on those documents and see how every school in the state with that title is ordered to use those funds.

We need to move on from this; now. This community is going to eat itself alive if we keep throwing such hurtful, slanderous comments at one another. We can inform one another and voice our opinions without being cruel.

I thank those who voted "yes" to support our schools. Your willingness to sacrifice in order to close the current gaps in our community will be revered.

To those that voted "no", I have no doubt that you value education. I'm certain that all of us can think of a teacher that touched our lives in a profound way. This is such a hard time for everyone financially. This economy has left no prisoners, and I understand that this was a tough time to ask for a new parcel tax to be passed. I do not question that everyone has somehow supported the schools, whether it was paying a fee for a sports team or volunteering in your child's class.

Everyone, please go now and write a nice note to your child's teacher. It's free, and you have no idea how much it will make the day of that person that is working so hard for your child in a district with such a currently low morale.

Since I have no control over the teacher's salary, and I feel the system is flawed on how it estabilishes pay raises, why would I vote to allow them to mandate what I give them? You tell me that my home values will plummet, but imagine a system that rewards based on performance rather than the current process. This will more like improve my home values. So maybe assign a value to API + cultural benefit. I will pay you based on ROI. You give me a better API or cultural benefit, I pay you more. You provide less... and well you can guess the rest. How you do that I really don't care, more teachers, more staffing, better health benefits, run it like a company. Results based. But to just reach into my pocket, no!

I am beginning to wonder if the teachers would be far more productive if the district were to turn off the external computer servers so teachers couldn't send all day on this site? If they were actually teaching instead of complaining about a war lost our kids would get a better education.

Yesterday an Amador teacher explained the failing of Measure E to his students like this:

Teacher: "How many of you are taking 7 periods next year?"

Many students raised their hands

Teacher: "No you're not! There will be no 7 periods"

" If they were actually teaching instead of complaining about a war lost "

Sure, it is only teachers. Everybody else was against Measure E and only teachers were for it. Right.

The "war" wasn't lost. That was only a battle, and it went well. We're up to 65%. Get ready for Measure F.

There you have it. Educated tries too put his own education on me. He wants every one to be a elist socialist like him. WE cant all be elitist teachers. Making me like you is just tearing sthe county down. I pity our children.

Look at the Dictater at Amador Schools that won't let her students take 7 periods.

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The purpose of the super Majority rule is so that renters and others who do not pay property taxes do not have a disproportionate voice in the taxes paid by the rest of us.

Perhaps by the time they bring this around again (and again, and again), more voters will figure out that none of this is about the children, or about education - most of it goes to salaries, no matter how it is hidden.

Until the unions agree to stop insisting on their two raises each years, no new taxpayer obligations should be considered. That would be, by the way, the same unions that impede educational reform at every opportunity, and whose members cannot be fired.

In addition, the school board needs to remember that its function is to represent the taxpayers and the students, rather than letting the unions run the show. Do your job, and start by looking into the numerous allegations of illegal or questionable activity by this district, especially in fiscal matters.

Just peeking my head in and saw that the pro yes crowd is still throwing their hissy fit becasue they didn't win. Would someone please give them their blanky and ba ba so they can go to sleep. Please turn off the lights and tip toe when you leave the room so you won't wake them. Nite Nite Yes crowd, now go away and never come back. :)

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Mike,

I'm a member of Walnut Grove Community too and I'm more than embarassed you would post something like that and identify yourself as a Walnut Grover. If you do in fact have kids going to the Grove, brace yourself, because what you see now with our excellent school won't be anything like what you'll see next year now that E has failed. We will lose good teachers and there will be more kids in your kids' classes next year. That's not something you should be proud of.

I see the liberals haven't learned anything from their clear and decisive loss after spending all that taxpayer money on union teacher raises. Mike makes a couple of honest points, and all the leftwing wackoes in this town start to pile on him and call him names. You guys need to grow up. You lost. Stop your venom.

It's pretty clear that the teachers' union has done a good job of scapegoating and blame-throwing. The easiest way to pass a parcel tax in this city is to FREEZE THE TEACHER/ADMIN SALARIES FOR THE DURATION OF THE PARCEL TAX.

Then and only then can we be sure that the funds will go towards programs and supplies, rather than union-mandated raises. Most of us in the private sector haven't gotten raises in years, why are the teacher's exempt from the economic problems.

I'm not advocating cutting their pay. IT WILL BE THE EXACT SAME PAY, so cut the whining about extra furlough days or unpaid holidays. FREEZE THE SALARIES. That's all we're asking. No "sacrifices", no "donations".

If the teachers' union agrees, you could probably pass a $200 parcel tax with NO opposition. But since we know the teachers' union (notice that I'm specifying the "union" and not the individual teachers) will never allow their members to take such a noble step forward, we'll always be stuck in this scapegoating, blame-throwing cluster flip. Teachers, wake up and boot out the union bosses. If you're really concerned about the schools and our kids, you'll push the union for a salary freeze.

"brace yourself, because what you see now with our excellent school won't be anything like what you'll see next year now that E has failed. We will lose good teachers and there will be more kids in your kids' classes next year"

This is not necessary. If we cut a few days from the school year like many, many districts have in CA, nothing will need to be cut. That is the best solution for the children and they have to be our #1 priority. Everyone needs to let the district know that this is the best solution for the kids while the adults finish their bickering here and in Sacramento. There is no need to punish the children and our newer teachers for the sake of a minority who voted no.

I like the fact that average voters are getting "into the shorts" of the PUSD regarding the automatic raises, layoffs by seniority, etc. That's the first step to generating enough broad political pressure to change the "law of gravity" system that the union has put in place. The union would prefer to play communities against each other in the name of the "children", property values, etc. But somebody has to stand up to this stuff if it is ever to be changed, and as the saying goes, "if not here, where? if not now, when?" It's good that the measure failed. Every drop of water helps to fill the bucket.

How is a sliver of a percent miss on a measure that got the VAST MAJORITY of support a "clear and decisive loss?" If it were like any initiative requiring 50.1% to pass, a 65% support vote would go down as a clear and decisive win. So please stop thinking the small minority of 35% that was lucky enough to have a system that let them BARELY defeat this measure is some sort of landslide victory for you.

I continue to think and see evidence that many of you No people are simply ideological, Hanniday-following, Palin-sycophantic reactionaries that get off on vitriol, hatred and general opposition to ANYTHING. And in that context, you somehow think you've gotten this major victory, when in fact you barely, barely won, and had NOWHERE near a majority of support. Did the measure lose? Yes. But please just chill out on thinking it was some major "voice of the people..." It was nothing of the sort.

I just wish there was a system where all of you who don't want to support the schools could have your homes exempted from the school district. And then you could directly see your home value drop relative to your neighbors. Would love to see you save $98 in taxes and lose $50,000 in resale value, while the rest of us continue to build a strong community based on education and civility.

And now we hire this new Police chief and we're going to have to pay millions to let this guy retire early and still make $200,000 when he is working. The only ones worse than the teachers are the police/fire people. It is all about them and stealing our money. It is never about the public. IT HAS TO STOP NOW.

Dave,

The same thing was said two years ago when G failed and with the exception on more kids in the classroom I haven't notice much difference. I remember back in the 70's when I was in elementary school everyone was bitching that there wasn't enough money going towards to schools. Just a few short years ago California was spent 50 billion on the schools and again all you heard was the same tired "we need more money for schools." the party is over cause people have caught on. Let the sacred Unions pay the difference since it's "for the children."

What John is saying is right. Too much money for public servants who are supposed to be OUR servants. Look at the new Police Commissioner. Look again. Did you see the salary? Think about it.

Now Educated is probably a teacher. He's lying about other parcel measures they all need 66.67 percent. Its part of liberal mental illness and Educated is spreading the desease.

The liberals can write long responses and throw up all kinds of lies and inuendoes but its not how long you're response is its who wins. Liberals are losers.

Ok we lost and I admit now that maybe the parcel tax is not the way to go so. Let's act with some class, think things through, and if need be, donate money personally to support our own kids. I have no problem paying for each of my 3 if I have to and it looks like I will.

The CORE campaign should be starting soon - does anyone have details on this? With this, the donations it sounds like are already going to the district office + a slightly shorter school year we should be OK for next year as we work out how to move forward sustainably.

Nope, not a teacher. I make a good market rate business salary, and will donate PLENTY of additional money to the schools. Now I only wish if I could ensure the money only went to my kids and those of other educated, forward-thinking people's kids, and not to yours... that would be thinking you'd probably agree with too! Though I assume you either don't have kids, or they certainly need the extra help, since they're not going to get it at home.

And if you read my post again, I was specifically comparing tax measures to regular initiatives. Initiatives need only 50.1%. I'm saying that getting 65% Yes on a parcel measure is not a "major defeat;" it's a very narrow loss. And if it were an Initiative, 65% Yes WOULD be a major victory.

Oh, and I'm sure you meant to write "it's not how long your response is..." That's the literate English version...

So if E were such a good idea, why did they need to use a special election, along with a mail in ballot? They basically tried to stack the deck in their favor. You don't consider this a little strange?

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[Post removed because it addressed another poster and did not further the conversation]

Amy, I'm just having fun with these guys. Their rhetoric is both sad and amusing. And I would hope/assume that anyone who is a Yes-voting person would now more clearly see the need to support education!! :-) Now if hoping that folks could use proper English is snobby, then that is a sad state for us all. That celebrates mediocrity.

Chuck, I'm not sure exactly what I'm "trashing" other than the demonstrated fact that many of the folks screaming "no" can't seem to do it with correct English. And maybe there's a correlation there.

And don't worry Chuck, my donation will more than easily cover you and many more. No lies...

And at the end of the day, if all of the Yes folks donate even just $150, we will have raised as much as everyone giving the $98. The only difference is the minority "No" folks get to free-load off others' generosity and investment. That may be a tough thing for some to accept, but it's just something we have to get over.

Educated,

I would much rather have people give money they want to give for the reasons they want to give than to force people to give who have no interest. If the yes people gave, whatever, $150.00, and the money was put into an account of sorts for worthy uses it would work. I still believe we have an issue with the teachers union and them wanting it for raises rather than for the kids. If it were in escrow or another account it could be administered appropriately.

With you 100% on that. As mentioned by an earlier poster, we can give specifically for certain programs or activities. Someone suggested sponsoring an event or providing the supplies needed for a project.

Trust me, I would not only prefer not to force others to donate, I would donate extra if they would agree just to quietly go away and leave those of us who care about the schools and education more time to focus on that than responding to the noise.

"And at the end of the day, if all of the Yes folks donate even just $150, we will have raised as much as everyone giving the $98. "

Yes, and we should all do this. Last time, when G failed, we donated 150 dollars per child to CORE. I am not sure if that helped, but we felt we were helping. That was on top of other donations we made.

If each of us (per household) who voted yes donated 200 dollars (that is about 100 per person, since many households have two people), we could raise the needed money. So we have to deal with free loaders like you say, but so what? Those are plenty all over. Senior citizens with their medicare (but opposing what they call "obamacare"), prop 13 people (I pay my fair share of taxes, while I have neighbors paying less than 1000 per year, and who claim they pay too much in the way of taxes!).

I am willing to do my part. I do want to see some sort of organized effort, as I am not comfortable just dropping the check to the district. Perhaps the YES on E folks can contact the list of supporters and tell us where to mail our checks.

Yeh donaters, I'd be very careful about your money if were I with you. All the class rooms are little commie incubaters for kids to grow up E voters. Come on. You know what I'm talking about. Take your monkey and put your too many kids in a private.

Mike,

With all due respect, if you haven't noticed any more changes than more kids in your child's class (and that's 25% more - a big jump), then you're not at school as much as I am.

(1) 4th grade strings - gone
(2) Art specialist - gone
(3) Library hours - significantly reduced (saved in large part to our PTA)
(4) Technology hours - significantly reduced (managed back partly by our PTA)
(5) Fewer custodian hours - have you seen how dirty the classrooms are now?

And that's just what I've noticed and I don't have kids in special programs like reading specialists or Barton or counseling. And I don't have kids in middle or high school (yet) so I have no idea what the impact has been there.

Walnut Grove is an outstanding school with many, many committed parents but it just can't keep going like this.

"And that's just what I've noticed and I don't have kids in special programs like reading specialists or Barton or counseling. And I don't have kids in middle or high school (yet) so I have no idea what the impact has been there."

High school impact: 7 period gone, less sections, bigger classes, no supplies, bigger donations to cover science supplies, etc, parents pay for sports and music. Because of the 7 period gone, Orchestra lost half its students.

All this scapegoating of "liberals" is completely inappropriate. I spent many hours on the call lists for the Yes on Measure E campaign, and guess what, Republicans were largely for this measure. Democrats were largely for this measure. Seniors were largely for this measure. The overall outcome, 65.31% of all voters voted for this measure.

So, liberals, conservatives, seniors, the majority were for this measure. Just not a nearly insurmountable 2/3 majority.

But clearly, those opposed are a small minority of our population. And vis a vis the Measure G results, the opposed population margin has decreased. Whatever their political persuasion, they apparently have LESS persuasion than they did last time.

If you still want to rail against the "liberals", you really should take a look at the overall results of this election. Because it turns out that a broad section of our town, regardless of political affiliation, actually supports education and is willing to fund it.

YAT, Why do you keep trying to get mileage out of the Palo Alto angle? I can’t vote there; and, unfortunately for your argument, it’s just that simple. It is, however, an exceptionally well-disciplined, fiscally responsible district. Why would anyone disapprove of fiscal discipline? In Palo Alto, I saved the district $40,000 a year for the past eight years in a variety of ways and have refused benefits, saving about $70,000 during my employment. I’m guessing that must easily make up for what could be seen as my position’s impact on the parcel tax.

I have always served in at will positions in both the private and public sectors. In this case, while it is theoretically possible for me to be laid off, I can promise I won’t be.

Despite opposing Measures G and E for lack of ballot language specificity, I have continued to contribute financially in this district as well and will keep doing so. I care about public education and am willing to focus on working for the sustainable solutions needed.

A few years ago that other community wrote 10,000 letters to the Governor to protect funding for K-12 education. Certainly this community could stop opposing each other long enough to do that.

I am sorry here all of you yes and no people don't get it the true loser is the kids. As a pusd employee on paper I make 80,000 but what you don't see as a head of household I pay out of pocket 20,000 in kaiser benefits so try to feed and raise a family of 5 on that it's tough. COLA I haven't seen one in 5 years yet my benefits go up like 10% every year. The union issue is a moot point they don't have my back because I have complained for 10 years about the inequity about those who can opt out and pocket the money by having coverage through a spouse. So to any of you that want to talk about how much money I make I want you to put down you latte stop your pallets park your suv as I invite you to all the sst's, iep's dances, promotions, lunchtime extra credit movies, field trips, duty free lunches I give upmto talk with you kids because you don't have time for it!

Measure F is on the way.

DITTO! to John Adams We could use one less person like Cara! How rude!

Teacher from San Ramon,
Don't let the hill-billy illiterates get you down. The repeated votes show there is a majority of support for teachers in the district, and we will donate, volunteer and do what it takes to ensure a successful district.

What's most unfortunate, and can't be solved so easily, is an American culture that doesn't broadly celebrate and reward the teaching profession. In other (highly competitive) countries, there is a respect for the important role that teachers play. And there is a celebration of success, not mediocrity.

I'll make this political for just a second to make a point. In this country people said they voted for George W. Bush because he was "more fun at a BBQ" and (ignoring he is actually wealthy) that he was "just like them" which fundamentally helped less successful people not feel less successful. Whereas, Gore and Kerry were despised because they represented "intellectual elitism." That means the masses would prefer to celebrate mediocrity than success, and not have someone lead them who is essentially more educated than them.

But let's not focus on the politics aspect of this - it's more about a cultural question. Would people prefer to work for a company where the janitor is the CEO instead of someone well paid and really experienced at running a company? Would you put your life savings in the stock of the janitor-led company? For some reason, the American public wants highly successful and educated people to run private companies, but votes for a lower common denominator to be our government leaders who run our country.

And I think they exert this influence over the public sector jobs in a similar way by wanting teachers to make lower wages, or at least "average" wages, not superior wages. But why not? Because it's a "public" job? What would be so wrong about highly valuing the role?

In Japan, for example, the teaching profession is held in very high regard and also social status - not equated to a DMV Clerk (no offense to those folks). They're paid well and revered for the huge importance they play in the society.

In the US, teachers are not paid nor elevated similarly (at least not by non-parents). Why not the opposite? Why not pay teachers BETTER than the private sector, so we can get the very best, and keep them motivated? Probably sounds ridiculous because of how the profession has been demoted in the US. (Yes, you can insert the debate here about how teachers are evaluated and tenured.)

I think the reason goes back to the same context as the presidential elections -- that the average public gets some kind of satisfaction from exercising their influence over a public sector profession so as not to feel like others are doing better than them. Same way they voted for Bush to feel good about themselves and not feel intimidated by someone more "intellectual." "I could have a beer with him..."

Well I for one think the teaching profession is under-valued and under-paid. I don't care about splitting hairs over a few extra weeks off. Heck, in most other countries, all people typically get like 6 weeks vacation! Only in this country do we get 2 weeks "and like it." People in the private sector get paid way more for like education, experience and "value." And maybe that's what it all comes back around to - how much is the profession valued. I value it highly... it's a shame it seems so many don't -- at least in their ideological rants here.

But as noted, if each one of us who values schools can donate enough to cover for those who don't (which is only 50% more in Pleasanton, since 65% said YES) then who gives a rat's ass what the "No" folks say. Let them say whatever they want... we won't need them - and can leave them behind as we progress to a better future in this country...

To all the leftist-sounding activists posting "holier than thou", "I care about the children more than you", and "I'm smarter than you" messages here -- you are not morally superior and you have no basis for thinking only "YES" voters are educated or care about the quality of Pleasanton schools.

As one "NO" voter stated, a lot of our kids endured years of construction, shifting from school to school, and less than optimum conditions while the district worked to get to where it is today. And many of us "NO" voters paid then and are paying now. Many of us contributed time and money to support the schools, teachers, activities, and kids. More recent residents might not know the history so the assumption that long-term residents without school-age children are motivated by selfishness is just not founded.

It's much easier for some (like Mr. Educated) to vilify those who think differently. By putting others down, they think it raises them up. It doesn't. It just emphasizes how small they really are. If they really were so educated, they'd be able to argue their position in an open forum without the arrogance or condescension.

Many "NO" voters have stated here the reasons they voted "NO" and the conditions under which they would have voted "YES". If Pleasanton residents come together with a singular focus on resolving the issues, then "YES" and "NO" voters will find a way. That's where the energy should be channelled, rather than on putting people with differing opinions down.

I for one would prefer a bunch of "NO" voters as neighbors than to have one "Mr. Educated" in my neighborhood.

Speaking of history, re-read this forum and see how it devolved when some folks starting coming on using ignorant, hateful language and words like "commie," and "elitist." They introduced this rhetoric. One said teachers are like "ticks. And all of them had no ability to write good English. Whatever percentage of the No crowd that represents, it's the portion that is bad for any community.

And while you may think you have me pegged in some way, it may surprise you to know that I am also on this forum posting under another name, engaging in the kind of civil and productive discourse that is possible with other open-minded people. But "Mr. Educated" needed to have a word with those who might have done well to finish elementary school. :-)

Kathleen Ruegsegger:

It's not my angle, it's yours. You draw your salary from a district that raises $11 million a year in parcel taxes, which helps pay your salary, and then you fight like Hell against a $2 million a year parcel tax in Pleasanton.

So, a parcel tax is ok when it pays YOUR salary but not when it comes out of YOUR pocketbook?

And I understand why you're defensive on the issue. You should be, because your hypocrisy gives you zero credibility to speak on this issue.

Some outsider comes on and calls us all hill-billies. Wow. Talking about hooty-snooty!!!

Then she tells us to be like the socialists. ""Heck, in most other countries, all people typically get like 6 weeks vacation! Only in this country do we get 2 weeks "and like it."""

See how lazy is has lazy does????? Typical teacher wanbting more vacation time. Waht is it about being American she doesn understand?????

Not a teacher, not a she, not an outsider. Three strikes, and you're out! :-)

YAT, the point is, I've done everything I can to mitigate what the parcel tax would cost to cover any portion that would contribute to my job in any way. The majority of that funding, BTW, is spent on CSR in grades K-5 and you likely know that. So, not defensive, just the facts you aim to bend. And you continue to ignore that I do give here; not a pocketbook issue either.

What are your proposals for the community? Are you willing to be the first in a campaign for every household to write a letter to Sacramento?

We're intentionally giving this Town Hall commentary a rest because the postings have become repetitive and, in some instances, accusatory without factual support. We will be covering Pleasanton school issues both online and in our print edition as developments occur.