In politics, strange things happen in the week preceding an election. It is no different with Measure EE, the controversial property tax hike proposed by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Although predicting the outcome of any election is dangerous it is clear that Measure EE is in trouble. In fact, its biggest problem might not even be the two-thirds vote threshold required for its approval. What is more disturbing for the district is the extent to which LAUSD has suffered multiple self-inflicted wounds in the conduct of its campaign.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Prior to this week, the district already committed several faults, starting with the screw-up on the language placed before the voters. That language doesn’t match what the LAUSD board approved in the official resolution. Not surprisingly, that problem resulted in a lawsuit.
More recently, the district distributed a mail piece advertising how seniors can apply for an exemption to the tax. No one believes for a second that the letter was anything other than a campaign piece because it was distributed to residents using the voter file rather than data from the assessor.
The bigger problem for the district is that the application for the exemption is itself very intimidating and seniors are justifiably suspicious of the district’s intentions. The application demands sensitive information such as a photocopy of the applicant’s driver’s license or passport. It also requires that the homeowner prove they are the primary resident by providing a copy of their Social Security check, insurance policy or utility bill and a copy of their current property tax bill. To top it all off, the application notes that the district may require that the application be submitted in person.
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LAUSD hopelessly engages in political and non-political activity. The only way to reform it is to completely disband it and let the charter schools start from scratch. No matter who the superintendent is or who is on the school board, this district can’t handle anything competently, least of all its own administrative duties.
Let’s hope enough voters see the wisdom of deny these reckless people any more money to squander on specious schemes.
California resident and I am also in the district and this has ZERO chance of passing. I am waiting for them to begin calling us racists because we don’t want to educate MEXICOS KIDS!!!!!!!Not going to happen dumb fucks and if you want to call me a racists GO THE FUCK AHEAD…..
Sell all the public schools to the private sector. Investors hire the best qualified tachers and pay based on production and community support.
Have both a principal and a business manager. Use the voucher program and watch as our kids start to get smart again. Dump the unions.
Democrats solution to every problem is to throw tax revenue at it by the handfuls. The problem will eventually be solved or it will go away or California will no longer exists!
Newsom is working on the later!
LAUSD has the first well in hand, if not for the property tax payer.
There you go, eligibility to vote should be tied to real estate ownership! Not to mention being gainfully employed, able to read and write the English language, and recite the “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” and the Declaration of Independence.
Sounds right to me…
Usually it’s tax and spend – this time it’s spend then tax to pay for it. The bottom line on this latest money grab is that the district is desperate to cover the promises they made to end the strike. They are going to continue to be upside down on just the pensions alone, regardless of the raises and increased staff.