Dear Editor,
I am a 30+ year resident of Arizona; retired; a 7 year resident of Sycamore Canyon / Corona; and the proud father-in-law and grandfather of, a VUSD teacher and 2 VUSD students. I am writing to express my unqualified support for the Vail Unified School District PROP 449.
Arizona ranks 47th out of 50 states in total per student spending. It ranks dead last, 50th, in state government contributions to public education. Our state government has a documented history of inadequate, and in some cases voter mandated, funding. (Witness the recent need for PROP 123.)
The pitch for public education is that it is “an investment” in our community and our future. Examining that analogy you might first ask: “If I’m investing, ‘Show me the prospectus.’ What do they provide/produce and how well and how efficiently ? What is their performance history?” If you examine the VUSD prospectus I think you will find that the product is unquestionably of high quality, much recognized, highly valued by the consumer, and efficiently produced.
It is my sincere belief that quality public education is fundamental to our present and future way of life. Like the defense of liberty, it is not free. It requires a sacrifice and that sacrifice in many cases is not borne evenly or equitably. This is why I have sympathy with young families, senior citizens and others of limited means, when it comes to saying the “T” word.
With these considerations in mind, I ask all my fellow citizens of Vail to do their homework. Get the facts. Think about what you value. Support political candidates and issues that “demonstrate” your commitment to those values. How often have so many, owed so much, for so long, to so few?
VOTE YES on PROP 449 and begin the payback.
C.E. “Charley” Spies
