I am opposed to the regressive parcel tax on the June 3rd ballot. The school board conspired with members of the SM Chamber of Commerce to keep business taxes low and instead tax homeowners and low-income renters. The $225 flat tax on the ballot forces homeowners in Malibu and Santa Monica to pay the same tax as Sears or Vons Supermarket. The alternative proposal was a tax on the square footage of the improvements. The commercial properties in the City would have paid their fair share. According to Chamber member Nat Trives, the flat tax would have cost some Chamber members thousands of dollars a year. However, business interests threatened to oppose a square foot tax, so the Santa Monica Renters Rights controlled school board caved to the pressure.
In the meantime, the Malibu City Council and the Socialists on the Santa Monica City Council want us to cough up money for the schools while they continue to fund their own favorite pet projects and social causes (low income housing projects for nonresidents, and frivolous lawsuits). They want us to pay, instead.
The “Yes on S” people are telling voters that a parcel tax is the only way out of the present school crisis. That’s simply not true. For example, recent news reports disclose Governor Davis is restoring funding for our schools in his proposed budget. In addition, the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu can and should step to the plate.
There is no concerted fund-raising efforts by the School District. Parents of permit students (nonresident) are campaigning hard for Measure S, a tax they’ll never have to pay because they don’t live in the school district. Even so, there is no request by the school district for donations from out of district student’s households. PTSA’s are having fund-raisers, but many PTSA parents are angry that money raised for their local school classrooms is once more being diverted to the political campaign.
Once again, the school district has not embarked on any organized attempts to get local businesses, foundations and organizations to make sizable contributions to the schools. All they can envision is that we all pay more taxes because they don’t have the imagination or gumption to find resources elsewhere.
If “S” wins, Santa Monica’s City Council will still add a few million bucks to their usual $2- to $3-million dollar bailout. If “S” loses, they’ll be forced to come up with even more. And, I’ll bet Malibu kicks up their contribution, too. If these City Councils do not make significant contributions to our schools, there will be new faces on both city’s councils after next year’s elections – and new priorities, too.
Pete Zulli