> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Measure S campaign launches into action - URL: https://www.smdp.com/measure-s-campaign-launches-into-action/ - Published: 2003-05-05T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T02:07:01.000Z - Author: John Wood - Tags: Government & Politics, Malibu, #archive-import *Supporters canvas local neighborhoods* The campaign for a school parcel tax on properties in Santa Monica and Malibu kicked into high gear Saturday with door-to-door canvassing in local neighborhoods. Titled “Save Our Schools,” the event attracted dozens of volunteers, who distributed voter registration materials and explained the proposal to voters. Volunteers split into groups and hit different precincts throughout Santa Monica, hoping to find parents and supporters, as well as to get non-registered voters to register. Some of the volunteers were students and others were teachers who will be laid off in July. The group strategized on how to educate citizens about the proposal and how to counter arguments against it. The tax proposal has widespread community support — schools, city government, the chamber of commerce and businesses all back it. It is fairly uncommon in Santa Monica for all entities to agree on a ballot measure, officials said. Campaign organizers plan to go door-to-door every weekend until June 3, which is the day for the special election to decide the measure. The parcel tax, called Measure S, would generate about $6.5 million annually for the ailing school district by levying a flat $225 tax on each piece of property in Santa Monica and Malibu. It requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is struggling to fill a $13 million shortfall in state funding that has forced it to cut more than 200 positions, including 91 teachers and a host of school programs. Seth Jacobsen, a spokesman for the parcel tax measure, said the campaign has stepped into high gear. Saturday’s walk was the first of four scheduled for May weekends. So far, more than $65,000 has been raised by supporters of the measure. Jacobsen said he expects $100,000 by the middle of the month. “It’s been really positive and very heartening,” he said. “Normally you would think that a parcel tax would evoke a lot of negative reactions — but when you talk to people about it, their response changes measurably.” Even business interests have stepped behind the measure, Jacobsen said, indicating a broad base of support across the city. Opponents of the measure say the parcel tax represents another burden for taxpayers and that business has organized behind it because the measure wouldn’t charge more for companies with large amounts of office space. Because of the flat rate, all parcels are subject to the same $225 tax, regardless of size. Campaigning has begun for opponents too, with flyers, lawn signs and a door-to-door canvassing effort. “It’s kind of pure politics,” said Don Gray, an opponent of the measure. “There is no benefit to the people (fighting against Measure S). It’s just the basic unfairness.” Gray said he was hoping for a law that would adjust the tax rate based on the square footage of the individual parcels. “I said ‘You gotta make this different, you gotta do something different,’” he said. “But they said, ‘We’ll just keep doing it again until it passes.’ “Everybody that voted against the last one will vote against this one.” Ralph Mechur, co-chair of the Santa Monica campaign, said residents can expect a passionate campaign all the way up to June 3. “The main effort to date has been to just make people generally aware of the state funding crisis,” said Mechur, a local architect and school parent. “Now we’ll let voters know about how the measure can help save the core curriculum in our schools.” Mechur said local efforts currently include knocking on doors, manning telephones four days a week and voter registration drives. Informational brochures will also be mailed out to residents as part of the campaign. Laura Rosenthal, co-chair of the campaign effort in Malibu, said efforts are also taking off up north. Committee chairs have been established in each school and supporters are launching a door-to-door campaign as well, she said. A separate phone banking effort has been set up in Malibu that will start today and operate three days a week. \- Laura Rosenthal, co-chair, Measure S campaign ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/050503-01_01-7.jpg) (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 5, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/050503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)