It seems every Pro-BB letter that I read justifies the bond with heartfelt pleas for our kids. We’ve heard the same refrain for over 20 years worth of bonds. Yet they never go away. If BB fails, the district has promised to try again. If BB passes, the district will also try again. What supporters never defend is the one thing they cannot justify: the unconscionable method of financing bonds with property taxes.
Such bonds are inherently unfair and unstable. Property taxes are a 19th century relic that made sense when those who owned property were wealthy and most wealth was in property. Today, most property owners are middle class, and most wealth is held in stocks and bonds. It is fiscally irresponsible and legislatively lazy to rely on an outdated model of taxation to fund the education of our children. Parents should be horrified at the thought of schools relying on fluctuating property values. It’s a disgrace that in the decades since the passage of Prop 13, those who opposed it have done nothing to find alternate tax solutions, instead complaining and seeking ways to undo it.
My suggestion? Give up on homeowner taxes. Find a responsible way to support our schools that doesn’t place an ever-growing burden on seniors and middle-income homeowners. Smaller communities in less prosperous states have figured it out. Surely the mighty minds of our district can do likewise. Defeat Prop BB and demand that district leaders stop taking the easy way out.
Wade Major