March ballot’s Measure E is ultimately about a better future for Fresno County | Opinion

As I have friends and colleagues on both sides of Measure E, I took time to drill down and reflect. While there are valid arguments to be made against it, I realized my commitment is and always has been the common good. This stems from growing up in a state where the civic DNA was communal, and I led Common Cause MN for a decade when the Legislature was dominated by civic stewards.

Our approach wasn’t just to advocate for a solution, it was to urge the electeds to do what they thought was right, to do what was in the best interests of the whole state.

As Common Cause is national, I was keenly aware California has unique assets and influence. Yet, its politics were fragmented and polarized, systems were over-regulated, and leaders had a hard time getting anything done. The civic DNA was more like wild, wild west; get rich quick; don’t fence me in; and survival of the fittest. What I didn’t realize until I moved to Fresno is an entire region suffered with extreme, chronic poverty for decades in the so-called golden state. Many who lived here had accepted this as inevitable and simply adapted, treating symptoms but not getting to the roots.

In 1993, I had the privilege of joining a small group of bold leaders willing to risk social, financial, and political relationships to find another way to conduct the community business. They were determined to delve deeply into the issues many preferred to avoid; understanding the roots of poverty, wealth, and opportunity gaps; and figuring out a new approach.

A number of the key leaders fought in World War II or Vietnam. They understood the responsibility side of citizenship. They knew a better future for others and freedom are worth fighting for.

Back then, our region was largely off radar. When I joined part of a statewide network, I was surprised to find out most had limited knowledge about the Central Valley. We changed that. For many reasons, our region is now center stage. Some believe it is where the future of our state is rising. Ag tech, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and supportive supply chains and services are where quality and essential jobs are emerging.

We can become a region where helping and supporting people in our communities, wherever they are, is our civic DNA. Where businesses thrive and fuel innovation and prosperity. Where parents see a path for their children to have a better life. Education is the key to inner and outer agency. It fuels a passion for learning, belonging, and contributing. Small acts, when multiplied by many and compounded over time, can transform our world. We have that opportunity with Measure E.

Children have no shelf life. Time is of the essence. One could hope the state will act, but the way education is funded and given the history of our region, this is unlikely anytime soon. The levels of education have been set up to compete, rather than work together to design the best system possible customized by region. Measure E doesn’t have to be perfect to be transformative.

Our opportunity is a world-class university, a testament to our belief in ourselves and our future. We are the heart of California, a place where love of place and community still matter.

Measure E will renew the infrastructure, enable the hiring of high-quality professors and staff, attract students committed to career paths, and develop leaders who can advance inclusive prosperity and well-being.

Measure E is a bold move at a time when education is in flux. Fresno State is the backbone of our civic infrastructure impacting every business, nonprofit, government function, and our identity as a community.

Dick Johanson, a lifelong steward of Fresno with a passion for education, wisely said, “If everyone did a little, no one would have to do a lot.”

In these polarized times, we have a choice. Listen to one side, acknowledge the valid points of both and remain confused, or step back and realize Measure E is planting the seeds for a future of possibility our region will earn by investing in itself.

Did you know it costs $132,860 a year to house an inmate? Yearly tuition at the most expensive private university, USC, is $66,640. Fresno State is a powerhouse of prevention of social problems and the fuel for economic prosperity. Annual tuition — $6,663. Its graduates become our K-12 teachers, health care and social workers, and business owners. It takes aim at building the middle, those committed to common good.

These are the people most likely to embrace the principles of barn-raising where when a community needs something, they step up together to get it done.

This is your invitation to build a better future for you, your family and those you care about. To learn the specifics, go to https://yesonmeasuree.com/documents/.