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Commentary by Joseph Gerda
| Friday, Jun 3, 2016

josephgerdaI am asking you to join me in supporting Measure E, a ballot measure that will allow College of the Canyons to provide access for thousands of additional students to successfully complete their educational goals.

I am the proud father of two College of the Canyons graduates. My children’s educational experience equaled or exceeded that of my friends’ children who paid $40,000 per year to attend private college – at 1/40th of the cost. Faculty members inspired my children to write with clarity, speak with conviction and think critically. They found their life’s career passion through the mentoring by the remarkable faculty. I feel exceptionally grateful we have such an educational treasure in the Santa Clarita Valley.

I also have the perspective of being a faculty member at the college for nearly three decades. I know firsthand the stories of thousands of our extraordinary students: single moms, veterans returning from war, public safety officers, recent high school graduates, and individuals just trying to better themselves and their future. We have exceptional programs that allow graduates to obtain high-paying jobs; retraining to upgrade jobs; and degree programs that allow students to transfer to the finest universities in the world.

Education means opportunity, and College of the Canyons provides a high-quality education for tens of thousands of students each year. Voting for Measure E is a powerful message to those who will need increased access to the many amazing, innovative programs and degrees that make College of the Canyons the top community college in Los Angeles County in transferring students to universities and No. 2 in the state in successfully completing their program.

Please join me in supporting Measure E.

 

Joseph Gerda has been a member of COC’s mathematics faculty since 1987. His children graduated from COC in 2007 and 2015.

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6 Comments

  1. Abigail says:

    No.

  2. Scott says:

    Measure E is a scam.

    Vote NO on E.

    Save our property taxes!!!

  3. James Farley says:

    No bias here from someone who works at the school and just got a nice raise to an already generous pay and benefits package of $142K.

  4. Gary Horton says:

    Nice story and true about the good the college does. However, he never explains why a quarter billion dollars is actually needed and how it will be put to best use. “More parking” and “more buildings” does not equate to “better education” and “more access.” Not in this century. More kids driving one person per car in and out of the school only means more traffic, smog, congestion, frustration. We need new thinking for our new world.

  5. Hardin Rich says:

    The comments summarize the community’s feelings well…

  6. Scott says:

    I do not question that COC students received proper instruction and benefit from the college experience. But, Measure E is simply another money grab using the same tired excuses, “It’s for education,” “It’s for the children.” As Gary Horton points out, new buildings and parking structures do not equate to better education or greater access. So, Mr. Gerda, are you seeking more money for the faculty and administrators? Do you really think that homeowners in SCV pay too little in property taxes? We already have a laundry list of “voted indebtedness” to every educational sector from K thru COC on our taxes. When is enough enough? How about you Mr. Gerda, asking COC to cut your pay 30 or 40 percent, for the good of the school and community? I do not object to paying taxes. I use and enjoy the many benefits that they provided, as do all the citizens of SCV. But there must be a limit. There has to be a point where the citizens say no, “NO MORE SPECIAL TAXES.” VOTE ‘NO’ ON E, you’ll be glad you did.

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