I can’t say I’m surprised by this bias editorial from the Pleasanton weekly. They’ve never met a tax they didn’t like, just go back and take a look at their history. Because of this editorial and an asinine email going around the community, we (my wife and I) decided to write this rebuttal.

For the record, we are 24 year Sunol resident, put our son through Sunol Glen, support Sunol Glen but we are voting NO on Measure J. Wait, what? That doesn’t make sense. Yes, the school needs work and safety changes, AGREED. We, however, don’t agree with the they way Measure J is being proposed and handled. After the failure of measure O and the promise from the school board that it was a “lesson learned” and things would be different next time, next time is here and it’s the same old story, “see the new boss, same as the old boss”. The bond request is equivalent to a blank $22 Million dollar check, with vague requests with equally vague or missing numbers to approximate expenditures. As individuals, we would not put up with this nebulous conduct if it was work on our homes or the companies we work for. If I proposed projects like this at any of the companies I’ve worked for, not only would the project not happen but I would have been let go and for good reason. Why should we put up with less from a 30 year plus financial commitment on our community’s part?

Some would have you believe this is not a “new” tax. If we are asked to vote on it, it’s a new tax, unless they are trying to prove the old saying “there is no such thing as a temporary tax”.

We do agree with the editorial comment of “5.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation”, this is disingenuous. While we’re on it, the slogan “Save our Sunol Glen School”, is a parochial attempt to strike fear in the voters.

No on Measure J

This is meant to be a follow up to my previous post since there is a size limit.

An oversight committee, is that suppose to make us feel better and that it’s financially responsible? Just show us once where that’s worked ANYWHERE, the money is spent, gone and it’s not coming back. For the potential argument that a school is not a business, take a look at their budget or California’s educational commitment or what we’re been asked to fork over for the next 30 years and tell us that doesn’t constitute a big business.

Some would call out the statistic that Sunol itself has lower taxes than others in Alameda county. In a state with the highest taxes in the nation, a county with close to the highest taxes in the state and country, inflation, gas and food prices out of control, and people trying to make ends meet, I’m trying to understand the problem with paying less taxes?

Additionally, the editorial’s flippant comment, “They also question whether all of the projects would justifiably add up to $10 million-plus. We can't help but wonder if they're aware of how much deferred school maintenance projects cost for supplies and labor in 2022, not to mention the cafeteria and tech lab aspects.” we find offensively condescending and arrogant. Home owners are more than aware of the cost of projects and the cost of schools. As already stated, the school and measure J use swags or nothing at all to approximate cost of projects. Again, would you approve work on your home or property if the contractor couldn’t give you an itemized costing for the proposed work?

Get informed www.sunolglenmeasurej.com

No on Measure J

A correction to my prior post. In an email exchange with the Pleasanton weekly, there have been times that the weekly didn't support tax increases. I stand corrected.