June’s local school tax elections went 3 for 4. Yesterday La Canada Unified approved a parcel tax with over 70% of the Vote. They join Palos Verdes Peninsula and South Pasadena Unified in passing parcel taxes. Yours truly went 4 for 4 when Rowland Unified’s attempt to pass a parcel tax got a little over 51% of the vote. Parcel taxes need a two-thirds vote to pass.
It seems that these votes were referendums on their local school districts. Most local taxes are viewed through that lens. Each of these communities had rejected 1A on May 19th. That was a referendum on the state.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:00 am
I live in PV and voted against the measure (despite having a kid in the system) as I believe all levels of government need to cut costs in this environment. That being said, I do understand why the measure passed and it is not a desire for more tax and spend policies. PVPUSD is one of the top districts in the state and is a source of local pride. By and large, the teachers and administrators are committed to providing an excellent product. They may be government employees, but they understand they are part of something special with high expectations and perform accordingly. The community recognizes this and strongly supports the district with fundraisers and volunteer activities.
Looking at the bottom line, PVPUSD is an asset that raises our home values. Folks who move to PV from areas served by sub par school district routinely comment how they save $20K/year that they would be forced to spend to send their kids to private schools. This, in turn, makes our homes more valuable and makes us wealthier. Local folks see it as an investment.
Put up a measure to fund government-sponsored “green jobs” (or some other left-wing fantasy) and it will get wiped out.