Measure Y vs. Measure Z
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Measure Y vs. Measure Z
Good morning, neighbors,
I wanted some input on the Measure Z initiative. Recently, I picked up a copy of *La Voz* and noticed there were multiple advertisements for Measure Z. They all seemed to be paid for by the Pomona Police Officers Association and fire department association, which I found really interesting.
In the previous issue of *La Voz*, there was an article explaining how Measure Y would affect Pomona’s budget. Now I am seeing social media posts against Measure Y, which interestingly passed with 64% approval from Pomona residents. Although these social media statements seem to be personal opinions, I would like to know how this money would be “leaving Pomona.” I use quotations because that is a claim without much evidence.
From my understanding, Measure Y would create a new city department: the Children and Youth Department. The responsibility of this department would be to allocate funds directly to programs that support local children and youth.
As I continued reading, the article mentioned that some city employees spoke against Measure Y at a City Hall meeting. Understandably, their jobs could be affected, so they are speaking up against it. The article also mentioned that allocating 10% of the city’s budget could cost 14 police officer positions. That left me wondering why those 14 jobs would be considered more important than the children and youth of our community. The City of Pomona already allocates 60% of its budget to the police department and fire department. (Edit)
As someone who has always advocated for children and youth, it seems to me that some city representatives do not want to take the risk of finding alternative funding sources or reorganizing the budget. It feels a little lazy on their end. Or maybe they are concerned about taking funds from the police department and are simply unwilling to ruffle feathers.
As I look at our city budget (see image), there is no clear line showing that children and youth are being prioritized. Additionally, if the claim is that the city already spends “enough” on children and youth, then why not make those expenses part of the 10% allocation?
Seeing that Measure Y was approved by more than 60% of residents and is now being challenged through Measure Z raises even more questions for me.
Lastly, as a Pomona resident, I would love to see a significant investment in our children and youth. As I learned more about Measure Y, I began to see it as an investment in our youth and a preventive approach to some of the issues we all face in Pomona.
I have also reached out to some of our representatives to ask how measure Z would "protect children" or "put children first". I have yet to hear any response from any of the representatives.