CommentsLA WATCHDOG--On Friday, the Los Angeles Unified School District sent an unsolicited email to the parents of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District that contained a link to highly partisan video supporting Measure EE, the $500 million parcel tax.
When you listen to the Superintendent’s Message, there is little doubt that LA Unified is urging a yes vote on Measure EE.
And after reviewing the LAUSD sponsored Measure EE website, once again there is little doubt that the LA Unified is using our tax dollars to support Measure EE, the $500 million Structural Deficit Funding Measure.
LA Unified, its Board, and its Superintendent realize that an official endorsement of Measure EE is illegal which is why the District and its high-priced political consultants have gone to great lengths not to endorse Measure EE. But this “dance around” may not pass the smell test because the California Fair Political Practices will view the “use of the public treasury to mount an election campaign that attempts to influence the resolution of issues …. presents a serious threat to the integrity of the electoral process.”
LA Unified also makes the misleading claim that Measure EE will provide, among other things, funding to lower class sizes, to attract and retain high quality teachers, and to provide quality instructional programs and resources.
Baloney!
To the contrary, the proceeds from Measure EE will be used to fund the Structural Deficit, the generous salary increases for the teachers and other LAUSD employees, and the ever increasing contributions to its underfunded pension and post-retirement medical plans.
No wonder the UTLA (United Teachers Los Angeles), the SEIU (Service Employees International Union), and other unions have invested over $1 million to support Measure EE.
This vote is an opportunity for us to tell the Board of Education, the UTLA, and the political establishment that LAUSD needs to clean up its act. It must develop realistic plans to improve student outcomes and safety, to right size its bloated bureaucracy, to sell or lease its surplus properties, to allow for increased oversight and transparency into its operations and finances, to recognize quality teachers by reforming its seniority and tenure system, and to stop its war on charter and magnet schools that serve 200,000 students (with many more on the waiting list).
On June 4, vote NO on Measure EE, the $500 million Structural Deficit Funding Measure.
(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee and is the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. He is a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. He can be reached at: [email protected].)
-cw
