By Todd Flora
Not only is it important to support this six year revenue boost for our schools, but it is also important to vote. We may not be used to a June ballot with only one local initiative, but the future of education in Santa Monica and Malibu is at stake.
There are several reasons you should vote yes on S.
The first is necessity. Our schools face $13 million in painful cuts if voters fail to act. Forget whether or not it “should never have come to this” or whether certain persons or policies should be blamed. We’re $13 million short, period! There is no guarantee that the state will restore the necessary level of funding to SMMUSD schools once nasty budget negotiations have concluded in Sacramento.
Second, Measure S provides funding to fill almost half of the budget gap — $6.2 million. This alone won’t solve the problem but will help keep our Santa Monica/Malibu schools at the high quality level we have come to expect. (Hey homeowners — communities with good schools maintain higher property values.) Measure S funds will, in part, preserve 91 valuable teachers that will otherwise be terminated. The measure will also preserve after-school athletics and music and will keep funds available for librarians and school nurses.
“yes” — ■I can only hope you’ve picked up a copy of the Daily Press on your way to the polls today, where you will proudly vote on Measure S
Third, Measure S has built-in accountability. It mandates that an independent audit be conducted annually and establishes a citizens’ oversight committee to ensure the funds raised are spent in the right places.
Opponents will tell you that this tax is regressive. They say that as building owners pass on the costs of the initiative, it would affect renters differently based on a building’s number of rental units.
They are right. Opponents also make a strong point that a progressive structure could have been put in place that would have prevented the wealthiest homeowner, the average Main Street boutique and condo owners like Evelyn from paying the same $225 per year.
But I would compliment the Measure S committee, who worked hard not only to produce a measure that will help our schools, but also one that has gained an unprecedented level of diverse political support in Santa Monica.
Today, let’s seize on this community consensus and back Measure S. If we don’t, the cuts will be real and visible. (Todd Flora is a professional issues manager who has served as state director of the California Clean Money Campaign, a campaign finance reform effort, and the Concord Coalition, a budget watchdog organization. He serves on the Steering Committee of Santa Monicans Allied for Responsible Tourism. To respond or to reach Todd, )
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 3, 2003. Read the original PDF.