Measure E is a proposal to raise property taxes in Hawthorne, Lawndale, Inglewood, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo, and send the money directly into the EC campus.
For students, this should be an easy decision. Most students aren’t homeowners and will remain unaffected.
For homeowners, having a top-of-the-line community college in the district can only raise property values. At $7 more per $100,000 of assessed property value, the tax increase is minimal.
A similar measure that passed in 2002 has been a great success and has already saved EC money. This makes confidence in this measure come much easier.
Measure E will be dedicated 100 percent to physical plant changes. The money will be used to make the campus more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Going green is the going theme right now.
Changes like these seem inevitable for a campus striving to be a premier institution. It makes sense to complete these projects now, especially in light of other proposed projects on campus.
This is not just about EC and its students.
As society moves forward in the 21st century, the emphasis is going to be on how big of a carbon footprint is being left behind.
Society’s daily routines may be easily overlooked, but with a growing population, every advance toward limiting resource waste can have an exponential impact on protecting the future.
It does seem a bit impractical on the surface because the areas that students tend to notice more readily are extended waits for counselors, the long lines at the cashier’s office, and the bookstore visits that cost them in both money and time.
However, more resources for staff could be obtained indirectly.
EC stands to save significant money by being energy efficient.
With the money the campus saves in the long run, more counselors and desk clerks could be hired.
The measure will also be an equalizer in the process, by allowing for older buildings on campus to be upgraded.
The Humanities Building is an oasis of comfort on a hot summer day, but one might look at a classroom in the Manhattan Beach Boulevard Modules and wonder if it’s the same campus.
The MBBM rooms are each equipped with a giant air conditioning unit about the size of 1950s television set. When the units knock into action they grimace with the amount of energy surging through them.
Sitting in a class full of hybrid cars would be quieter, and they’re still no match for the persistent California sun.
The MBBM classrooms also lack windows, which means no natural light and no fresh air circulating. The rooms rely purely on artificial air and light which can be costly in the long term.
Contrast that with the Humanities building.
The Humanities building has three floors of classrooms that each have at least one wall full of windows.
The building is fully air-conditioned, so students will always walk into a temperature regulated space.
There are bathroom facilities for both sexes on every floor of the building, and two elevators to service students on opposite ends of the hallway; no other building on campus boasts that.
Learning in the Humanities Building is far easier than learning in an MBBM classroom.
It is worth mentioning that the EC Associated Students Organization passed a resolution supporting Measure E.
While EC is making leaps and bounds into the future, there is still much room for improvement.
Measure E should be welcomed by anyone with a class in an older building.
The view from Crenshaw Boulevard is spectacular, but there are still a few neglected corners in our big campus.
