Please vote Yes on Measure W on the November 4, 2008, ballot.
 
One of the most intelligent men I have ever known, Vigfus Asmundson, was a product of the Davis schools.  We married and raised our children in Davis, in large part because of the excellence of the public school system in Davis.  All six of our children are graduates of DJUSD.  It is my sincere hope that when our grandson, Zypher Vigfus James Asmundson-Wild, born on election day, June 2008, starts kindergarten in fall of 2013, he will receive an education comparable to that of his parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
 
But our public schools are not just about the children, they are also a nexus for the community at large.  I have lived in Davis for 39 years and volunteered in a wide variety of capacities.  The experience and people that I draw on in my role on the City Council started in the Davis public schools.  First as a volunteer in classrooms, then on the PTA, and then the school board I have been privileged to meet a large cross-section of Davisites.

In this time of financial instability, with funding from the State of California in serious question, the supplemental funding Measure W will provide for three years, will allow the Davis school district to continue the positive educational experiences for all of our students.
 
As reported in the Davis Enterprise on Tuesday, October 14, the Davis City Council voted unanimously on September 23, 2008 to endorse the passage of Measure W, the instructional parcel tax on the November 4 ballot.  The importance of our K-12 educational system to the quality of life in Davis is something on which all five of the Council members can agree.
 
Please join me in voting YES on Measure W – our children are counting on you.
 
Ruth Uy Asmundson
Mayor, City of Davis
Former Davis School Board member