Tell the school board to think again. Measure S is a tax of $225 per parcel of land for six years with a built in cost of living increase each year. This is on top of the current $90 parcel tax.
The Los Angeles County Assessor’s office (310 665-5300) states unequivocally that “a parcel is the same as a tax ID number.”
Therefore a five-unit condominium will have five separate tax ID numbers and five separate parcels. Each unit will pay $300. Shutters Hotel has a single property tax number as do mansions north of Montana and beachfront Malibu estates. They also will pay $300 per year. This central point — that corporations and people whose property is worth millions of dollars (if not tens of millions e.g. The Watergarden complex) will pay the same tax as a studio condominium worth $150,000 — makes Measure S a regressive, unfair tax.
Also note the latest 2001-02 summary of per pupil spending for all of the states and D.C. from the National Education Association Web site. California is ranked 28th in the nation. While this is not good enough, it is not the 47th to 42nd ranking stated in the last failed parcel tax attempt in 2002.
We need to be as factual and objective as possible in public debate otherwise the government loses the trust of the voters. Tell the school board to think again. Vote no on S — the unfair parcel tax.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 14, 2003. Read the original PDF.