First, let me back up a little. I understand that the district, like all of us, has some difficult decisions to make regarding our budgets. We all must live within our means, and I am not envious of the difficult decisions our school board has to make.
A year and a half ago, this district tried unsuccessfully to pass a large bond measure. It narrowly lost. I was one of the supporters of Measure Q — I endorsed it, I contributed to it and I displayed a sign for it. There were many issues that I had with the bond measure, including the size of the bond, the length of the bond and the lack of detail on how it would be spent, but I and more than 50 percent of the Scotts Valley Unified School District’s residents did vote for the Measure Q bond.
A year and a half later, many things have changed: We have two new school board members, an economy that is terrible, some of the highest unemployment we have seen in decades and a state budget that gets worse by the day.
There are also some things that did not change: The middle school is old and needs modernization, not replacement; teachers are still underpaid and moving from our district; we have three of the same board members and the same administration. The people of the Scotts Valley Unified School District — teachers, parents, grandparents and even those with no children at all in this district — care just as much today as they did a year and a half ago, or as they did a decade ago.
This brings me to my displeasure with the Feb. 2 school budget meeting and the comments made by Dr. Susan Silver, our superintendent. She explained to over a hundred concerned, caring people that she lives over the hill in the Santa Clara area in a less affluent area, and school districts in that area could pass bonds, because the people in her area care about schools more than we here in Scotts Valley.
While I do not carry a doctorate and I am confident there will be some grammatical errors in this letter, I am smart enough to understand when I, my family, neighbors and teachers are being disrespected and talked down to. We, the people of Scotts Valley, have dedicated more than our treasure to our schools; we’ve given our blood, sweat and tears to them.
Maybe it is not that we do not care about our schools, but that we want to feel confident that the money we spend is spent wisely.
The other comment by Dr. Silver was that if there were a parcel tax that could be used for teacher salaries, she would not use those funds for that purpose. Well, Dr. Silver, I could not disagree more with that statement. New classrooms do not teach children, teachers do — and teachers and students need to be our priority, not new buildings.
At this time, the district and its residents are not in the position to pass a brick-and-mortar bond to replace the middle school or any other facility needs, but I do believe that a small parcel tax targeted toward teacher salaries and retention of teachers does have some merit. If such a tax were to pass and the district used those funds wisely, it would build trust in our community, and perhaps a future bond would pass. One must build trust to build a future.
Dr. Silver, we do care about our schools, our children and our teachers; we just might not agree with your vision or decisions on how to care for them.
• Dene Bustichi is Scotts Valley’s vice mayor and a parent in the Scotts Valley Unified School District.
Brian Ruf - Thanks for your efforts. It's got to be frustrating to try to do something positive for the schools and then have the nut job start in on you.
The bottom line is that Switzerland is divisive and does nothing more than try to drive a wedge into our community. His only interest is himself. If Switzerland hates Scotts Valley so much, why doesn't he move? Meanwhile, Ruf and other concerned citizens can try to move toward a solution for our schools.
to the contrary, we agreed to a settlement to AVOID more problems....your thought process doesn't make sense.
my "truth" isn't just a perspective, it is reality. SV is going to be involved in a 4th due process very shortly. And that is just in this current school year.
Susan Silver has stated "let them sue" about parents. She has stated to teachers "make no referrals for special ed". Yet parents are still blamed....why?
Again, I can hold my head high publically and others hide behind screen names...
I think you think I'm someone else.
Seriously, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
YA!!! You 10% come and make a diffence.....Frank ..SHUT UP!!!!!! Just write a letter and send it to your 10% of the people who care.......You and any of "your people" will never make it to City Council to change things...... "
Considering what you do, you should set a better example.
next
Funny that after moments after Redenbacher posted, your name shows up. "Alert Alert - code 1 code 1 - man down need reinforcements!" (Your comments are looking pretty thin).
Let me explain why it doesn't matter how neutral you would like to be seen. Trust is a matter of perception, and there is a lot to be seen.
Do really expect us to believe you just came upon this and innocently not searching for this open challenge to your pet project. Maybe you wanted to see what the big deal is and looking for a confrontation.
And guess what, you found one. Funny thing the same person who was helping you right along with essentially the same plan which missed Measure Q yanked the rug right out from under your feet. Did you think it was going to turn out any other way?
Why do you think your in that roll? If your wrong, Monte Fiore takes the heat. And now your wrong, Bustichi made it that way by not supporting your Brick and Morter approach.
Not that it can't be done, just not with his blessing. Go ahead and read it again - you have been punked. And now you have to choose to agree and eat crow to curry more favor from someone who just betrayed you, or find your own voice and finish up old business on the way.
Do you remember When John Dewes Showed up with his Target possie with their slick presentation to extol the promises of traffic, pollution and crime in exchange for some easy tax money? (parapharsing with sarcasim)
When after the Q&A from the audience stopped and everyone had said there piece, the Board spoke, who do you think spoke last?
Mr Tempesta stood up to him in front of a room of lawyers and Commercial Real Estate brokers, and every interest including a room full of residents who were panicked and looking for answers and told him no to to his face.
It was me. I saw you in the audience as I stood up and said Mr Dewes, you cannot come in here with this project - what is in it for us? I will tell you, we have a safe neighborhood, low traffic, no crime and you want us to trade our peace and quiet in this beautiful place that for a warehouse covered in bricks? Why should we give that to you? So you can can endanger our children?
Endanger our Children.
And when it became clear in the SEIR that the traffic would be in excess of 10,000 trips a day - not counting the growth spawned by the town center. it was worse. The unsafe condition on 17, the stress if the City services, especially the police.
We learned that big boxes like Target get so much crime they have their own forensics laboratory which the Federal government uses for capital crimes! Murder.
One average, 40 major felony arrests are made at each Target - the kind where 3 strikes your out, and accompanied by hundreds of other crimes and other crimes of opportunity.
Endanger our children.
I confronted Mr Bustichi, and the City Council, locked horns with Council woman Lind, and had my civil rights violated by the former City Manager Mr Comstock.
After the meat grinder did their best, undeterred I let Mr Dewes know that I was not going away and would represent an ongoing PR headache. A red Target sign 50ft above 17 in the heart of our redwood community would become an anthem and reminder to their greed to the rest of the world . They stood to take about 100 Million dollars ever 3-4 years from Scotts Valley.
Even the slow down in the economy wasn't a problem for them if they really wanted to build. I just reminded them that this was not going to be a cake walk. They pulled out - still the threat persists. The economic down turn allowed them to save face, but we know the truth, and it's documented.
That application still endangers our children.
and now the Bustichi has pulled support for the Brick and Morter option. The leaky roofs, the crumbling infrastructure endangers our children - yet again.
And more to the point your children.
Someone once said "why should I put my family name out there and ruin it over this issue".
And today we know the answers. You picked up the responsibility to defend the community but you ended up becoming a new head for an old proposal. And it's dead before you have begun.
But Mr. Bustichi has miscalculated again. It can be done, I can show you how if your interested. So you have a real dilemma.
By not confronting the City Council as a Director of your HOA, the pressure to remove the "Target" application fails to meet it's basic responsibility.
You are failing on two accounts now. You have nothing and gained neither.
BUT
You still have the responsibility to the community locally and at large on these issues, but to assume you are carry no burden or feign neutrality is not accurate.
People, visitors, others who have no voice, especially the kids rely upon you not to do what is politically expedient. But what will protect them, and you need do it for yourself and your family.
Isn't that more than having an easy go of things for your family only? When all boats rise, we all win, including Dene and the Council. (though you might have to change your expectations)
You have not been dragged into a mess, you volunteered, and now you're on the hook. You have seen the light regarding how far you will get on the promises of others who push their agenda over you and the childrens interests. The same interests of the parents and teachers and administrators. Some pushing everyone to HOPE Sacramento will bail them out with letter writting.
Being well liked is no way to get things done, operating with transparency and fairness is.
I challenge the comment about your agenda. It is to try and keep great relations with the people of power and push the plan they have already made for you and presented us twice. That's not going to get it done, they are included in the same echo chamber.
You need people like me.
It's time to finish what you started.
Being part of the Bustichi inner reach, you should remind him that it's the children that have to go to Brook Knoll, down LaMadronna twice a day with their parents. through 10,000 cars worth of traffic daily. When we see you doing the right thing, we can trust you then on bigger things like plans for the Middle School.
Calling these fundamental issues chatter, and challenging them to make these comments to you in person is no way to serve on the PTA. How much support do you think you will gain with the perceptions lacking hospitality or grievances uncontained to make it's head shown on this thread??
That wide audience is watching you too. They may need to reconsider who is leading the charge, and Monte Fiore might need to reconsider who it is allowing represent them. You might also own a couple people there an apology. Your House divide cant stand.
Regards,
Next.
How many due processes (which is law suit in case you didn't know) will have to be filed in this distict in order for the public to care? Go ahead and think that what I talk about is meritless....at least you know who I am and we have no idea who you are because you won't use your real name....
There will be a public community forum about the state of special ed in SV soon that I will be hosting. I am easily accessible and willing to talk with anyone.....please come
1.) It's Ruf with one "f"
2.) I'm on the Brook Knoll PTA
3.) My only agenda was to try and get people to the meeting to get informed, out of a collective frustration that it always seems to be the same group of people who get involoved. My effort was to get MORE people engaged. Period.
And now I'm dragged into this mess......
Unbelievable.
At least with all of this "chatter" I hope more of you will show up at the upcomming meetings to make your comments known outside of this thread.