I applaud the Malibu Times for printing Susan Tellem’s letter, and giving a little light to the other side. This is not about denying children an education. This is about blatant mismanagement of funds, and taxpayer gouging. We already have in good faith passed a school parcel tax that will be on our tax bills for another eight years that was to guarantee the same things that now, two years later, are being threatened to be taken away if we don’t give more money. Has everyone forgotten? If passed, Proposition Y promised to: “attract outstanding teachers, improve instruction and counseling, enhance athletic, music and arts programs, purchase science materials and computer technology for schools and protect the taxpayers investment in education and a safe learning environment.” In addition to this parcel tax, according to our voter pamphlet, we have already voted in four school bonds, two library bonds and sizable utility taxes.
Now, once again, they are threatening to cut teachers and arts programs while the fat cat administrators continue to mismanage funds and keep their positions and perks. If you have any doubts about how the money we entrust to these administrators is mismanaged, look at the new gym and other improvements at Malibu High School. This extra needless gym and other building extravagances cost $16,895,000 with a $2,800,000 shortfall. This means that almost $3,000,00 has to come from somewhere in the school district’s budget. We are told the improvements are from a separate pot and have nothing to do with this crisis, but money is money and mismanagement is mismanagement. We have already given them enough money and chances, and have seen what is done with them. These cuts should cause nothing to be lost for the children if the administrators will make the cuts in their areas.
This new measure is just a well orchestrated attack on your pocket book. Tens of thousands of dollars have been paid to consultants to find ways of coercing you to vote yes. What is it costing to run this special election? Wouldn’t this money have been better spent on the children and the teachers?
My advice to “Save Our Schools” is for the parents of children in the schools to find out what the teachers need, be it help in the classes or a computer or books or supplies and buy it or provide it directly to or for the teacher. This also gives more direct contact with the schools and the teachers. That way you know it will go where it should and not be mismanaged and wasted by the administrators who so badly want our money. It also will keep your direct donation in your school, not taken by Deasy or the state to be “fairly” distributed to all the schools, leaving little if any for our children.
It is time to take a more active role with our children directly in their classrooms, that is the only way you will see a difference in their education. Not feeding the fat hand. They were so angry when we voted down EE that they said they would keep putting it on the ballot until it passes. And at a huge expense, that is what they’re doing.
Katherine E. Bobbe