Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy’s remarks in “The Malibu Times” (10/4/01) are puzzling. The California Lottery was delivered to California voters and promoted through the local schools as the cure for the California Educational money predicament of the time. Proposition 13 was passed to save the family (including schoolteachers) habitat and thus the American dream. Mr. Deasy alludes to the fact that it is an offense to have wealth. He further is quoted as saying that the end result of Proposition 13 is to equalize poverty and not level wealth. It is therefore a transgression to be prosperous. John Deasy is cited as articulating that “arts, music, P.E. and similar activities all become tenuous if funds have to be raised” to support these programs.
Mr. Deasy, Hello! Funds have already been raised for these under supported programs. Proposition Y, which Deirdre Roney takes credit for helping ratify, is a “must have measure” promoted by the Santa Monica-Malibu School District through our teachers and kids. It is a parcel tax increase totaling $700,000 (just for Malibu) yearly for the next 10 years which has been added to your district’s income on the tax backs of the entire Malibu property owning community. This tax increase totaling $7,000,000 (Malibu only) was levied on the Malibu property owner, as of July 1, 2001, and states that it is to be used directly for the aforementioned programs. Its stated purpose is to “enhance athletic, music and arts programs.” It is to also to be used to “protect the taxpayers’ investment in education and a safe learning environment,” whatever the inferno this poorly worded statement in the Property Tax increase Proposition Y means.
John Deasy, the California Lottery, Proposition X and Proposition Y were all promoted as a “must have” income for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. We, the Malibu taxpayer, voted for your increase in our property taxes to show support for local education and the school district. You have failed us awfully. We were in wonderment when these funded programs were threatened with dying for the current school year. The members of the Lily’s Caf Steering Committee could not run their households’ budgets and survive overspending year after year as the school district does. The Lily’s Steering Committee expects the school district to operate within its budget like we have to in our personal household financial plan. Your financial planning to reduce the Proposition X deficit is creative but not sound business practice in the current economic environment
We invite you, Mr. Deasy, to attend the Lily’s Caf morning coffee (8:00 a.m.) to discuss with former Malibu Mayor John Harlow, Doug O’Brien and the coffee group the subject of school district financial responsibility. We feel that Malibuites who pay, I am told, 25 percent of the school district property taxes and are rewarded with only 12 percent of those funds in return deserve a better return on our educational investment.
It looks to the Lily’s Caf Steering Committee like wealth leveling is being applied to Malibu taxpayers, schools, kids and parents. To repeat what others have said, Mr. Deasy, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains.
And that is all I have to say.
Tom Fakehany, chair
Lily’s Caf Steering Committee