Posted by I (heart) SBCC 2 on May 21, 2008, 4:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Vote "NO" on Measure "V"!"
70.177.16.178
You need a campaign manager to run a campaign that covers the large territory this district served. You just can't manage a campaign like this (or should one) off of one person's kitchen table. MR is doing a terrific job coordinating all of this.
Plus there are all sorts of election laws and financing disclosure forms and regulations to follow. Hard to ask all of this from a nice group of well-meaning volunteers. Best to have at least one seasoned professional running this.
But back to your far more interesting position: no taxes, no way, no how. So let's discuss fund-raising alternatives. Pros and cons.
You know the SBCC budget backwards and forwards so help us find wayt to raise this same amount of money. Some voters suggest raising tuitio, beleiving the only people who benefit from SBCC are the students themselves.
I figured we could double the SBCC tuition for the next 35 years to collect the same amount money, and hoping this would not send students to some other half-priced community college somewhere else.
But then we would not have a big chunk of it for many years to fund the first projects which would be under-estimated at that time anyway.
So do you think a pay as you go, collect the extra student fees (after getting the California legislature to allow this first) for a few decades and then pay for the building repairs and modernization?
Let's realistically discuss options to raise this money, take advantage of the state's matching funds and get the job done with the least disruption and visual assault on the college if we don't use a bond issue to do this?
Should the Foundation go ask Oprah to write a check? What would make the best arguments to her to do that?
Should we ask the community for voluntary donations for this amount?
Should we ask students to volunteer time for a long work party to put sweat equity into the constuction and remodeling projects? The faculty and staff? Maybe 20 hours a week from everyone who works and attends city college.
And see if we can get the construction industry to donate time and materials. And get the state architecture office to sign off doing any inspections or controlling these volunteer work opportunities.
A little red school house barn-raised by the community itself was good enough for a lot of generations of students. Should be good enough for SBCC, right? We do like our small town feeling and setting the clock back at SBCC is a good place to start.
So I threw a few suggestions besides tax, tax, tax our residents. What are yours? How do you think my other ideas will work to get to the same goal?
Are instituions like SBCC "entitled" to property tax increases?
Or has SBCC actually earned the trust and respect from the community that is wants to reach into its pocket a bit ($8.50 a year for a lot of people who bought their houses over 25 years ago).
SBCC is a pretty prudent operation. There is not much fat to cut. But suggestions are always welcome, as long as they meaningfully add up to the same amount and same terms as a bond issue.
Just cutting a few staff/faculty positions every year is not going to add up to the millions needed up front to accomplish these building renovation projects.
Which projects should be eliminated as well? And how will their maintenance and modernization needs be met over the next several decades?
Thanks for keeping this dialogue open. Yes, you did hit a hot button for me. And as a worthy opponent, you can help me get past my own narrow thinking about all of this.
Game's on.
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