Support Measure E, the Morgan Hill Unified School District parcel tax. Each parcel would pay $96 a year. It sunsets in five years. Morgan Hill property owners 65 and over can “opt out,” if they choose to, by going to the District and completing the appropriate forms. The district would raise between $1.2 and $1.5 million per year. Two-thirds approval vote is required for it to pass. The tax will benefit students, educators, parents, the community and chamber members, alike. A more well-rounded and educated student can have a more positive and productive impact on her or his future, the community in which she or he lives, job, whether part-time or permanent, and career. The board’s action demonstrates its belief that what this sunset parcel tax can provide is worth the investment and should and must be a priority, when thinking what we are willing to invest in for a better tomorrow.
Support Measure H and allow Morgan Hill voters the opportunity to have a new grocery store in the Cochrane Plaza shopping center at no additional cost to Morgan Hill taxpayers.
The measure is fair to the city, to the taxpayers and to the owners of the center. It simply changes the 1987 approval of Cochrane Plaza that prohibited a grocery store from leasing space there. This change can only be enacted by the vote of the people.
Lifting this restriction brings us closer to meeting the needs of residents of the north part of Morgan Hill who are anxious to have a place closer to their homes for grocery shopping and it is good for the economic health of the center and the city.
Measure H is a win-win solution. It works for the residents and the Cochrane Plaza and costs taxpayers nothing.
Support Measure A, the Santa Clara County half-cent sales tax increase. The tax would generate approximately $150 million in its first year and provide needed services, at a time when the county is projecting an $111 million shortfall. The sales tax increase will require a simple majority approval vote to pass, because it does not specifically define the uses for the revenue collected from the tax. The board’s action to support Measure A was based on several reasons, and they include the following:
Measure A is not about BART. Measure A is about social services and health care. There were 37,000 patients from Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin at Valley Medical Center, last year, and 63,000 emergency room visits. The county budget has a structural deficit for health and social services, and it needs to be fixed.
Measure A would provide nonprofit organizations a funding stream and funding for affordable housing. Additionally, state funding is uncertain and without county control. Measure A funding would be controlled by the county.
South County transportation needs would be funded by Measure A, including restoring bus services that have been cut and improving Caltrain services, would be among the Measure A transportation priorities.
Regional collaboration, South County receiving its fair share of Measure A funds, and a close monitoring network providing oversight on how Measure A funds will be allocated were also included in the board’s consideration.
Support Proposition 81, the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond. This is a $600 million statewide library bond that will provide 65 percent funding for library projects of which $300 million would go first to those not funded in the third cycle of Proposition 14. The remaining would be awarded on a statewide competitive basis. It requires a simple majority to pass.
The board’s action to support Proposition 81 was based on the following:
Libraries are needed to improve literacy, educate citizens and provide educational resources. With local government budget shortfalls, cities are unable to keep up with increased demand. Without this bond, there would not be funds to build and renovate libraries. New construction projects would also provide jobs for those in the building trades. Although Morgan Hill did go through three cycles of Proposition 14 applications, it is not eligible for this funding, because the Morgan Hill library construction has already gone out to bid. Even without that, it was unlikely to be funded because it did not score as high as other library projects. Morgan Hill’s neighbor to the south, Gilroy, on the other hand, would have their library funded if Proposition 81 passes. The board’s action demonstrates its commitment to a better, more educated and literate society, which, in turn, makes good business sense.
Oppose Proposition 82, the Preschool for All initiative, which would amend the state constitution to require a provision of a voluntary preschool for children one year prior to entry into kindergarten and begin in 2010. The board voted to oppose Proposition 82, because it employs a voucher system, which could negatively impact children of lower income families and result in disparate treatment of minority children. The measure fails to focus on expanding preschool availability for those children most in need. While the intent is worthy, the initiative that is before voters is not. There are more important uses for limited state resources, like K-12 schools. It targets small businesses, because 80 percent of California businesses pay taxes under the personal income tax.
