It’s
a small price to pay for a big return.
Gregg Foster, RREDC Executive Director
A couple of Fridays ago, I shared a great experience with my two young boys. They, my wife and I sat in a theater full of other kids and parents. The kids were from all over Humboldt County. They were spellbound by the actions at the front of the room. At times they laughed loudly. At other times they “ooooed” and “ahhed.” And the whole time, they were learning. For what was at the front of the room was not a movie, a rock star, or demonstration of the latest video games. What was entertaining these kids was a chemistry teacher demonstrating and explaining various types of chemical reactions.
On October 24, College of the Redwoods held its 20th annual “Science Night.” This is a night when the campus opens itself to the youth of Humboldt County, providing them with a glimpse of what a college looks like and showing them that learning is fun. My boys and I walked around campus, learning chemistry, biology, geography, engineering, health, astronomy and more. While they went from place to place, I could not help but notice that the facilities of the college are “well used” and in need of an upgrade.
Forty years ago, this community had the foresight to invest in the creation of College of the Redwoods. Since then thousands upon thousands of our community members have benefited from the educational programs offered by the college. I took my first CR class, typing, at the age of 15.
CR’s Board of Trustees voted to put a $40.3 million bond measure, Measure Q, on the Nov. 2 ballot. Funds from the bonds will renovate and upgrade CR’s vocational and academic transfer programs. Some in this community are quibbling about the length of the bonds, the cost to property owners, or, rather absurdly, whether or not the college actually benefits that many in the community.
To them I say that nothing will hurt the future of this community more than the curse of lowered expectations. This is especially true when applied to our children’s educations. I’ve written in this space before about how increased education results in higher earning power. Education breeds success in life, it broadens horizons and creates opportunity. Denying our children the very best educational opportunities available robs them of their potential.
So what price are we willing to pay to preserve and expand this important community institution? Measure Q will cost $18 per year for $100,000 in assessed valuation. What does that mean? If your house is listed on the tax rolls at $200,000, then it’s about 70 cents per week. At $300,000, it’s a few cents more than a buck a week. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than willing to give up the cost of a candy bar or two to invest in this valuable community asset.
Oscar Wilde wrote, “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” We all know the price of our support of Measure Q. But just think of the long-term value this community will receive. If you do that, I know that you will join me in supporting Measure Q.