Dear Editor,
This letter is meant to call out one of the planning commissioners, Nancy Barba. In a letter to the editor of the Culver City Crossroads, Ms. Barba displays hostility towards seniors and homeowners, writing “Higher-income households, white homeowners, and seniors enjoy the largest subsidies since they tend to own higher-value homes and/or have lived in their homes longest”.
Seniors who have lived in their homes the longest are hardly “wealthy” as she asserts. Most of us are on fixed incomes and asking us to vote for the Measure E school bond is a big ask– when current inflation is particularly hard on our demographic. Disparaging us while asking us to vote for more property taxes is surely a losing proposition.
Ms. Barba conveniently omits the fact that Measure CC, a $106 million school bond passed with 74% in favor. Measure K, a parcel tax of $189 a year, to help the schools, passed by 75% . Margins that high mean that a significant portion of senior homeowners voted to tax themselves to help the Culver City Unified School District.
Measure E is a new property tax in the amount of $600 per million in assessed valuation. It will hit hardest on those who are newer homeowners in Culver City; many of them will face additional taxes in the amount of $1200 per year or more.
But the amount of the tax isn’t the only reason why myself and others are leading the effort to defeat Measure E. To sum it up, many in the community feel the board has wasted taxpayer dollars and we shouldn’t be handing them a blank check until the district gets its financial house in order.
If you want more information, please go to our website, saveccusd.org. Anyone wanting lawn signs can write to [email protected].
Homeowners, and seniors in particular should think carefully about the attitude that Ms. Barba and some of her colleagues displayed towards us. Their hostility and contempt are nothing new. Vote NO on Measure E.
Carolyn B. Libuser
