Pressure cooker

High school students in Monta Vista and Lynbrook are under stress because of the high expections from their parents and also of high pressure to take the most difficult, or shall we call challenging, classes. So by the senior year, the stress level builds up and it bounds to explode, especailly when comes the day that the acceptance/rejections letters arrived. This results in the students getting depressed because they did not get into their chosen colleges. Ultimately some of them tried to commit suicide. Is it right?

Parents need to educate themselves. They cannot live their own dreams. Let their children live their own. Do not put too much pressure on them. Do not make them take classes that they don't want. Do not have too high expections from them. The world does not stop because they don't get into the Ivy League. There are unemployed Harvard graduates like with any other colleges. Instead the parents must explain to their children that the latter must follow their own paths seeking what's best for them and not for their parents. Although the colleges are different, there's no need to aim higher than their abilities. They can go to any college that allows them to fulfill their knowledge and they will do fine in life.

No on Measure B

The Board of Education of the Cupertino Union School District proposes levying a tax on each parcel within the district. So this means that if the measure is passed by two-thirds of the votes cast, a fee of $125 per property annually for six years beginning July 1, 2009 will be charged, except to owners who are 65 and over. The reason is that the district has a shortfall next year because of the state budget cut.

Every time when there's a budget problem it seems that the only recourse is to raise taxes. We keep raising taxes without considering cutting costs or improving on doing work more efficiently and productively. The state just raised the sales tax to 9.75% here in Santa Clara county from 8.25%. So for the residents of Cupertino, if Measure B passes, there'll be another tax increase. The justification is that we have good schools so we need to retain good teachers. Having good teachers only cannot make the schools good or better than other schools. Everything depends on the students. If they are not into the studies, no good teachers can make the schools better. Why are in the schools in Cupertino good? Because of the parents and students. Without the support of the parents, the students wouldn't be studying hard enough to make the schools look good. The majority of parents graduated from college. They value education. So they foster an environment to allow their children to also value education.

Raising taxes is not the solution. Cutting costs is the solution. If there's a need of funding for music, I'm sure the parents of the children who take music are more than willing to chip in. The parents are very understanding, but don't make the other residents pay.

Vote No on Measure B.