■Renters: If the school parcel tax Measure S passes, your rent will increase. It’s a fact.
So why has Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights, which purports to advocate for renters, endorsed this measure, which will definitively increase rental rates? And why did they take a position opposing Measure A, which applied to single-family homes and had absolutely no effect on renters at all?
The parcel tax will be on Santa Monica’s and Malibu’s June ballot. They tried to pass an annual $300 parcel tax last fall and failed. Instead of coming up with a creative, more progressive way to raise school revenue, the committee simply changed the tax amount from $300 to $225. It’s the most regressive way to raise revenue: Charge everyone the same amount, regardless of their ability to pay.
That’s $225 per single family home, condominium unit and apartment building.
A 100-unit apartment building will pay $225 for the entire property, and that cost will be passed through directly to the tenants. A five-unit apartment building will pay the same $225. Renters in a five-unit building will pay $45 more per year, where renters in a larger development will see just $2.25 tacked onto their rent. Move to a big building fast — it’ll cost you less.
And condo owners, you are the big losers here. In fact, one member of the committee actually told me that “condo owners get screwed” by this parcel tax. Unfortunately, I own one of 32 connected shoeboxes in the middle of the city. I have no more space than any other two-bedroom apartment. And EACH of the 32 of us will pay that $225.
Now let’s talk about the 20 percent of the students in the Santa Monica and Malibu school district. One of every five students don’t live in Santa Monica or Malibu. Guess how much each of their families will pay? Not a penny. You and I will foot the bill for them.
I won’t argue that our schools don’t need more money — clearly they do. And I won’t argue that our schools are inefficient — we have a very well-run school district.
I won’t even commit — yet — to voting NO on the parcel tax.
But I challenge the district to find a better way to raise funds, a progressive way that recognizes the drastically different financial situations of Santa Monica and Malibu residents. And a way to ensure that all stakeholders, including homeowners, renters, businesses and ALL students, contribute to our schools’ continuing success. (Evelyn Jerome is a past president of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats and a member of the New Democrat Network. To respond to or reach Jerome, )
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 29, 2003. Read the original PDF.