Editor’s Note: The following are letters to the editor written by Pitman High School students as part of a Mock Election Unit in U.S. Government classes.

Raising the minimum wage will not help the problem

Dear Editor,

It would seem that the people of our grand state do not understand simple economics! When I read that Prop 32 had garnered as much support as it had, I could hardly believe my eyes. Raising the minimum wage to $18 will not help the problem. Raising the minimum to $17 will not help the problem. I repeat to all who did not listen in their economics classes, raising the minimum wage will not help the problem! I present a simple concept called push inflation, which states that when wages rise, so do the prices of products sold. Prop 32 is not only ineffective, but actually hurts small companies. With many stores lining Main Street, Prop 32 will force them to raise their wages and hurt their profits, risking our beloved local businesses to close shop. Proposition 32 will simply do more harm than good (if there is any good that comes with it). Supporters of Prop 32 argue that citizens will be able to afford the basic cost of living with a mandated raise; answer me this, people of Turlock: why would we raise the minimum wage to afford basic needs, when those same needs will rise in cost along with those wages? I rest my case. Increasing the cost of living, hurting small businesses, and overall being ineffective is not a proposition that citizens should vote for.

— Omar Madriz

Prop 36 will help people be safer

Dear Editor,

The amount of crime in Turlock and other cities around is unacceptable and outrageous. Proposition 36 would be able to take part in helping with this problem. The past couple of years crime in Turlock has been at an all-time high, from shootings to sex offenders and robbery. Along with multiple drug crimes. Proposition 36 is about increasing the punishment for crimes by turning them into felonies. Increasing the time for these criminals will hopefully change other people's minds of committing a crime and can also provide more time for rehabilitation while in prison. Overall it will keep them away from our town. This proposition would also help people feel safer and more confident in living freely in their home. I want to be able to go on a walk or even go to the store without being worried that something is going to happen and I’m sure many other people feel the same. People should not have to feel this way living their daily lives. To see how serious the crime problem is in Turlock there's data. Based on the most recent report, the Turlock crime rate is higher than the national average by 48.1% and in the past year crime has increased by 1.4%. We need to prevent frequent crimes from happening. Vote yes on Proposition 36.

— Audrey Montes

We are no longer safe at school

Dear Editor,

Your children are no longer safe at school. We are no longer safe at school. Recent events have evidently proved that. On Sept. 4, 2024 every parent sent their child believing that it would be a normal day, to their dismay it ended in murder. Four innocent lives were taken by a 14-year old, by one of their fellow classmates. This issue isn’t just something we watch on the news, it is present in our own schools. There have been numerous arrests of teenagers across Stanislaus County for making threats to shoot up their school. As a student you know that there is no difficulty purchasing a firearm. This needs to change. Vote to protect us, vote for someone who prioritizes keeping the future of the nation safe.

— Ariana Lopez

Schools need better funding

Dear Editor,

There is never not a moment at my school day where I go, “Hm, what were they thinking?” About 1-2 years ago, my school had removed the projectors in every classroom and replaced them with these smart TVs. Normally I wouldn’t be complaining, I love big screens! However, this bugs me that these irrelevant TVs seem to be a higher priority than getting our own stadium, more textbooks, or working Wi-Fi. For reference, I go to Pitman High School, and our football team is infamous for losing, probably because we do not have a proper stadium for us to practice on. Additionally, this is the first year my school has offered AP Psychology. My teacher only had enough textbooks for one class, and when I wanted to take a textbook home, I had to return it the next day. Sure, I could always just access the textbook online, but that does not take into consideration those that do not have running Wi-Fi outside from school. Under these circumstances, funding that is given to public education institutions must be used adequately. This is important because if funding is used appropriately, it can vastly decline the economic inequalities that all of us are affected by.

— Stephanie Moncur

Keep them working

Dear Editor,

Proportion 6 plans to remove involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, in other words they want to pass a bill that stops states from forcing incarcerated individuals to work. I understand the perspective of wanting to vote for this, it’s a progressive step to “truly” abolish slavery but those who vote in favor of this don’t see the bigger picture. Other than the reason for me voting against this prop “they can’t live there for free” it is also that prisons use labor as a rehabilitation program to turn their lives around which leads to less crowding in prisons. They cannot let them sit around and do nothing. Do you know what happens when people get bored? Trouble erupts. An activity is needed to stimulate them to reduce boredom and improve behavior while they are incarcerated and making them work gives them that. The other benefits of this is giving them a chance to learn new skills, give them discipline, teamwork, and most important of all work experience. Once they are reintegrated into society they will need a source of income, to pick up a job. Not only do they benefit from it but so does society because now it has another functioning member contributing to the community. It’s a win-win!

— Brooke Estolas