I agree child care and pre-school teaching are necessary and should be free, meaning tax supported, in the same sense that primary and secondary schools are free.

But California taxes are already too low to do everything the government needs to do and efforts to raise taxes (for example, adding a quarter-cent or half-cent to the sales tax or a constant dollar amount per parcel to property taxes) are too often the most regressive methods.

We should use progressive taxes instead--for example, adding a higher tax bracket or two to the state income tax, with correspondingly higher marginal rates--and I would support sales taxes on certain services, eg, stock broker fees, used mostly or exclusively by those in the top half of incomes.

Higher taxes even by adding another tax bracket just widens the financial gap even more and it will be the lower middle class that ends up paying and losing in the long run.

There is a initiative petition being circulated to extend just 'the millionaire' income tax provisions of Prop 30 (which also had regressive sales taxes). This involves only income tax rate brackets at the top, not in the middle. It does not 'adjust' rates in the middle either.

Since this initiative, as I understand it, will increase revenues for K-12 education (taxes = revenues = programs), I will sign the petition, as soon as I see it! And if it makes it to the November ballot, I will vote for it.

Summer break can be stressful for families who are homeless or living at or below the poverty line. Some families believe summer camps won't fit their budget. But it doesn't have to mean spending thousands of dollars for your child to have the "camp experience." The lack of high-quality, engaging summer programming means youth may not have a safe place to go while their parents are at work. Even those engaged in daytime activities may not be receiving the quality educational or recreational programming necessary to keep them healthy and to avoid the “summer slide.” Chris Salamone is the present CEO of the law firm, Chris M. Salamone & Associates. His experience in several organizations such as the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers (FFCDC), has helped him in many ways. At the FFCDC, Chris Salamone has been providing child care programs for children from low-income households. Summer Camp was one of the most notable program of the FFCDC. Also, he has been actively involved in non-profit educational sphere where he shared his views on various subjects relevant to government, law and leadership. Web Link

There are a lot of things that are done (free breakfasts and lunches for all school age kids all summer long in MV, very reduced camp fees through the City of Mountain View Recreation all summer long except for one week at the end, and more).

There is also a program called Beyond the Bell that takes school age kids, at least elementary, after school until 6:00pm every day, and helps with homework, feeds them snacks, and gets them outside.

There is also a program called Stretch to Kindergarten in MVWSD where low income incoming kinders are taught all day (I believe it's 10-6?) M-F to get them ready for kindergarten.

This feels like a lot. Of course it's only available to low income, not middle class (except the lunches).

This may not be popular, but...what else does one want subsidized by my tax dollars when I'm barely making ends meet? Not everyone can live in Silicon Valley. (Told you this wouldn't be popular).