Letter: A Yes on Measure U is an easy vote

Dear Editor, No matter what your thoughts are about other tax measures on this fall’s ballot, please join me in voting ‘Yes’ on Measure U for our schools. Some valid questions arose about how other taxes will be raised, enforced, and spent.

Not so for Measure U.

The entire annual $35 tax (per $100k assessed value) will go to capital repairs and improvements at our school sites. None of it goes to salaries or benefits.

If you were here in 2008, you know our last Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) school bond was immediately used to build beautiful facilities. Our school board leveraged those local funds for matching state grants. Transparency is important and a community oversight committee will again ensure proper spending.

Join many fiscal conservatives and me in voting ‘No’ on other tax measures like Measure N and ‘Yes’ on Measure U, for our kids and our schools. I'm in the schools as a substitute teacher almost every day of the week. I see the leaking roofs, 30-year-old carpets, and outdated portable classrooms. As anti-tax as I am by nature and experience, I am however, for local school safety measures for our children.

Please consider these reasons to vote Yes for Measure U.

Duane Wallace
Father of five and 10-year Substitute Teacher
Football and 25 years wrestling coach
Former School Board Member
Music department supporter
Co-founder of The Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation