Proposition EE
I hope you, your friends, and your families will support Proposition EE, which is on the June 4, 2019 Ballot. It would increase the local parcel tax by 16¢ per square foot on homes and businesses to fund the financial impacts of the settlement of the Teacher’s Strike earlier this year. https://achieve.lausd.net/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/172/Measure%20EE%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20FINAL.pdf It applies to property owners in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
It requires a 2/3rds vote so every possible vote is important. The annual tax would be $240 for a 1500 square foot house. More if you live in a McMansion, less if you live in a smaller home.
It is supported by the School Board, all the educators, local political leaders, and community groups. https://www.seiu99.org/campaigns/measure-ee/
It would raise between $400 and $500 million to lower class sizes and hire more school nurses and counselors as required by the contract negotiations. It has an oversight commission to assure the funds are properly spent, audited and accounted for. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/yesonee/pages/25/attachments/original/1553517466/Yes_on_Measure_EE_Official_Ballot_Text.pdf?1553517466
Three powerful business groups oppose the parcel tax. https://bizfedlacounty.org/blog/alerts/action-alert-vote-no-on-measure-ee-lausd-needs-reform-more-than-new-money/ They have raised a large war chest and are sending out mailers and flyers. The ones I have received in the mail to date are well beyond misleading and highly inflammatory — not at all what I would expect from the LA Chamber.
As best as I can make out from reading their literature and positions, they want all property owners to pay the same amount of tax (a flat parcel tax), regardless of the size of your home or business. I think the business groups are flat out wrong in demanding a flat tax so that the McMansion owners and large corporations pay the same tax as the individual owning a small home or condo. I do think that an exemption from the parcel tax for low income homeowners would be appropriate.
The business organizations are asking that the school board show greater accountability to improve educational results and reduce the high costs of teacher pensions. http://laschoolreport.com/no-plan-on-how-to-fix-themselves-business-leaders-say-lausd-is-undeserving-of-500m-parcel-tax-after-years-of-little-reform-and-accountability/ That seems very appropriate to me; the Board has built an accountability oversight committee into the ballot proposal.
There has been a great deal of controversy as to whether the Board’s ballot language (habitable space) includes a parcel tax on your garage. https://laist.com/2019/05/07/why_lausds_parcel_tax_plan_to_fund_schools_is_on_shaky_legal_ground.php The School Board has clarified that it does not.
Certain property owners like seniors and the low income disabled living on fixed incomes are exempted from the parcel tax; that seems appropriate to me as well.
Please make sure you, your family, your colleagues, and your good friends vote, it’s likely to be a low turnout election.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 5/25/19