There is power in quality education. I believe that is something on which we as a community can all agree.
In a world where young people are entering the workforce saddled with astronomical student loan debt, College of the Canyons is providing students with quality education at an affordable cost. By voting “yes” on Measure E on Tuesday, we are helping prevent tuition increases while investing in the improvement of two college campuses.
In COC’s nearly 50 years of existence, the Santa Clarita Valley has watched as College of the Canyons has grown into an excellent educational institution that offers students resources that empower them to build successful careers and lives.
COC really is an amazing asset to our community, and I say that in large part due to my personal experience. In 1991, I received my associate’s degree there, and it added much to my experience as a business owner.
Over the past 30 years, my husband, Jim, and I have built a business that has allowed us to serve many in the SCV and beyond, in addition to building strong community relationships and friendships. I truly believe my time at COC played a major part in that.
I’ve also seen firsthand how the college’s partnerships with our business community have benefited our valley, providing resources and support for the many small business owners who thrive in the SCV, as well as larger companies that have chosen to do business here.
Through internship programs — in which my company has taken part — students are able to gain valuable, real-world experience.
The opposition will tell you Measure E is just one more tax levied against the residents of the SCV. But the truth is, it’s much more than that. Will this cost us? Yes, but it is a valuable investment in our community’s future. By approving Measure E, we are joining together to help provide much-needed infrastructure improvements for the aging Valencia campus and needed buildout of the Canyon Country campus, and we are doing it without raising tuition. By sharing the load together, we can accomplish something great for our community.
I can also tell you this money will be spent wisely. As a member of the Citizen’s Oversight Committee for Measure M – a $160 million bond that voters approved in 2006 – I can assure you there is close scrutiny on how public funds are being handled, and there is clear evidence it is being handled responsibly, judging by COC’s improvements and expansion over the past decade. Voters should expect nothing less with the passage of Measure E.
I stand wholeheartedly behind Measure E, and I say it as a property owner, business owner and proud member of the SCV community.
For the sake of full disclosure, yes, my company has done printing and mailing work for the Yes on Measure E campaign. Yes, I am a co-chair of the Yes on E committee. Yes, I count COC Chancellor Dianne Van Hook as a dear friend. None of those things cloud my vision or take away from the fact that Measure E is a wise investment in our community, and in one of the state’s premier community colleges.
By voting for Measure E, we as a community can stand together and go to new heights. When you cast your ballot Tuesday, I urge you to vote “yes” on Measure E.
Jill Mellady is president of Mellady Direct Marketing and a co-chair of the Measure E campaign. She is a graduate of College of the Canyons, chair of the COC Chancellor’s Circle, a COC Hall of Fame inductee and the 2016 recipient of the COC Foundation’s Silver Spur Award for Community Service.
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5 Comments
I thank Jill Mellady for her effort to be forthcoming with her extremely close involvement with Measure M, the College, the COC Fondation, and as a recepient of the coveted Silver Spur Award.
To place her participation in some context Mellady Marketing has received $27,578 from the Yes on Measure E Committee. We have not been able to find any contributions made directly to Yes E from COC Foudation members. Naybe they launder the funds through the Doundation to get the tax deduction.
Yes E has been a complete disaster for the SCV. In these final days I find their despearte pleas for support to be rather path E tic. Don’t Be Fooled or take crazy commentary at face value.
NoCOCTax.com for all the best primary source data.
Y’all have a great day !
To find out more about measure E go to NoCOCTax.com. Find out what you are really paying and what you have already been paying for.
It is a big NO from me and my kids and grand kids seeing this is another multiple decade tax. Enough with taking my money. I will donate what I want and where I want. I also don’t feel it is fair to be paying for this school over and over again when a large majority of the students are not from the greater SCV area at all. Enough!
Did Ms. Mellady mention that Mellady Direct Marketing, as of May 21, 2016, had been paid $27,840 from Yes on E campaign funds?
Of course not. The campaign is desperate.
It’s spent charitable donations (which were tax deductible to the donors) of $150,000 (College of the Canyons Foundation) trying to force this $529,000,000 (according to CoC spokesman Eric Harnish) tax down your throat.
The $483 million tax figure in the tax rate statement in the sample ballot, as Bruce Fortine put it, “That figure is from the imagination.”
So between March and June, her Lord High Holy Highness Chancellor and the five dwarfs’ imagination has already cost you another $46,000,000. As they say, the sky’s the limit.
The dwarfs, in another deal, pocketed $8,500,000 million by selling wealthy investors new bonds to pay off old bonds. Investors were so eager to get those higher-than-market interest rate bonds that they paid a huge premium to get them.
Oh, and by the way, the $63,540,000 of the new bonds ($94,050,000) were kicked down the road to 2041 and 2046. Your grandchildren will be paying $173,966,037.50 for them.
The tax rate of $15 per $100,000 is also “from the imagination.” In 2006, you were told the tax rate for Measure M was $9.73. Today you’re already paying $14.53 and the trustees haven’t even finished issuing bonds. About $55,000,000 authorization remains. When finished, “imagine” $20, then “imagine” adding another $30 or more for this fiasco. And don’t forget to add the $15 that you’re still paying for Measure C from 2002.
The bottom line is that Her Lord High Holy Highness, the five dwarfs, and their incestuous charitable foundation aren’t telling you the truth about anything.
They want your money and they’re spending $324,875.00 (as of May 21st) to get it.
Don’t forget that Measure E is BLANK CHECK. The dwarfs can spend the money in any way they choose. When you read the fine print, you’ll find that they’ve put in every loophole that their highly-paid advisors and lawyers can come up with.
They get the money. You assume the position (risk). Are you really going to agree to a contract where all the details can be filled in by the other party after you sign it?
Do you really want to throw your money away so 10,000 adult children who don’t live in the district can have a cool place to hang out?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_-rN6WK0II
P.S. Did I mention that Her Lord High Holy Highness used your tax dollars to shut up the opponents in a blatant violation of their right to free speech. It’s called a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) and it’s illegal in California. But when did the law ever stop a criminal?
Enough already with the Vote yes on E.I’m voting no.
“NO.” SCV residents, we do not need to tax ourselves at every election, the politicians are doing a very, very good job of taxing us already. Don’t be guilted into voting yes, just because you think COC does a good job at education or because your son or daughter goes there. None of those reasons justify allowing the Chancellor Hook and the Board of Trustees to pick your pockets for a third time in 15 years. Send them a message -vote no on E on June 7th.