‘Gross salary inequity’ in Live Oak School District

I’m a Live Oak resident and my fourth grader has attended Live Oak district schools since kindergarten. I’m deeply disturbed by the gross salary inequity between Live Oak district administrators and the teachers and classified staff they propose to cut.

Nothing better illustrates this inequity than the minutes from the Feb. 7 Live Oak District board meeting, which approved 5% increases for administrators and for the superintendent, who earns more than $240,000/year, and a pay increase to minimum wage for substitute teachers, tutors and aftercare providers.

Yes, Superintendent Daisy Morales decided to rescind her pay raise at the Feb. 21 meeting. But that gesture comes too late.

The unfortunate thing is that it’s our kids who bear the brunt of this inequality — in the form of underpaid, over-stressed teachers, class sizes that are too large, and not enough counselors, classroom aides and aftercare providers. As a parent, I don’t want to fund the district’s overpaid administrators — I want to fund my child’s education.

— Claudia Graziano Burgin, Santa Cruz

Yes on K to increase funding for county parks

Our local county parks and open spaces are essential for community health. They help our communities thrive, but are chronically underfunded. Climate change and ever-growing maintenance backlogs make the funding problem even worse.

Measure K will help increase funding for our county parks. I love parks and I vote. On your March 5 ballot, please join me in voting Yes on Measure K.

— Mariah Roberts, Santa Cruz

Grand jury report brings a No vote on Measure K

I voted yesterday. I surprised myself by voting No on raising the sales tax.

A 2019 report of the Civil Grand Jury demonstrated that, among other things, county administrative officers (CAOs) had repeatedly and materially understated the cost of public defender services in reports to the Board of Supervisors. The report identified problems with county contracting practices and made recommendations.

Most of the mandatory responses of the CAO and county auditor were evasive, misleading or false. The mandatory response of the Board of Supervisors was word-for-word the same as the CAO’s. The grand jury asked the five individual supervisors and two other county executives to also respond to the report. Only Zach Friend responded. His response was word-for-word the same as the CAO’s.

One can only assume that the board’s support of raising the sales tax is as uncritical as its rubber stamp of the CAO’s evasive, misleading and false responses to the report.

The report and the responses can be read at https://www.santacruzcountyca.gov/Departments/GrandJury/2018-2019GrandJuryReportsandResponses.aspx.

— Nelson Crandall, Aptos

Yes on M: Follow the money trail on opposition

When political rhetoric gets confusing, follow the money trail. Yes on Measure M is grassroots, funded by locals, teachers, students, nurses — not by wealthy, out-of-town developers.

Opponents want us to believe that requiring 5% more affordable housing will stop developers from building here. They point to San Francisco where affordable housing requirements were recently lowered, but they neglect to mention the three-year limit on that decision, and the context that led to it. Development in San Francisco screeched to a halt during the pandemic, when people fled urban centers to places like Santa Cruz — and development here boomed.

If we pass Measure M, residents can decide if they want high-rise buildings downtown or in their neighborhoods. Otherwise, only four City Council members can decide. If Measure M passes, developers must include more affordable housing. If it doesn’t, the city staff will continue to let developers buy their way out of building affordable housing.

Don’t allow the city to sell our future to the highest bidder! Vote Yes on M.

— Keresha Durham, Santa Cruz

Need more information on campaign contributions

A Feb. 23 Sentinel article listed the recipients and amounts of money contributed in the City Council election, but failed to include who made the contributions. A link to the county website requires a bit of digging to find the answers. Isn’t that the job of reporters? I’m certain voters would like to know who is giving what to whom.

— Stefan Berlinski, Santa Cruz