More details on the LAUSD's Parcel Tax plan

Here is the L.A. Times story reporting on the LAUSD's Board meeting yesterday afternoon and the vote to ask voters to raise property taxes in the form of a $100 parcel tax.

"L.A. Unified to seek $100 parcel tax hike- The four-year increase would alleviate the school district's projected budget deficit but probably not prevent class size increases, teacher layoffs or a shorter school year. " By Howard Blume, February 17, 2010, http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd17-2010feb17,0,6463784.story

The LAUSD just has a strong history that shows it spends too much and wastes much of what it has on bad decisions and lack of oversight. I don't think that there's any recognition of that by most of the Board members. Tamar Galatzan was the only "No" vote and Marguerite LaMotte was absent. Many of the spending choices made of the Board in the past were poor ones. The construction program was planned for a condition that has changed. The last LAUSD request for money was approved by the voters and THAT probably was the last time you can see the public taking a chance on giving more money to this District.

The $7 billion that was put on the ballot and approved was originally to be a $3.5 billion request. Even without a specific plan to spend all of that the money at the time that ballot measure was created, a good reason to reject it. I doubt that this time around the LAUSD will be getting any benefit of the doubt. A 2/3rds vote is necessary to create the tax on real property and even renters will have to consider the impact of the charges passing through.

This is more in the nature of a "Hail Mary Pass," and but if it's approved, it's still not taking them out of the budget hole, but they must really view it as a chance worth taking. The District will have some costs for this election in the area several million dollars.

A quote by one Board member shows a view that doesn't match up with reality in my opinion.

"We're funding [education] like a third-world country, and I have to take a
stand and do something about it," said board member Richard Vladovic. "I'm
voting to give parents the chance to say yes or no."

I doubt there's much spending in third-world countries done like in the size of funds that LAUSD handles. Actually, you might look at the way money has been spent for the problems here and not to the money collected. The District continues spending huge amounts for expenses that don't seem right and who wants to give up money for that to keep happening. The money this time is said to be limited to teachers and not administrative or construction expenses, but that's something that should have happened with a big part of the BILLIONS last time around.