By Paul Ehrlich
Re “School Board’s ‘Phoney’ Poll Numbers”
Dear George Laase,
Let’s think positive, Mr. Laase. Instead of George Laase asking questions in a positive or neutral way, he uses negative words. I am referring to “School Board’s ‘Phoney’ Poll Numbers.” Beside “phoney,” he uses other harmful words or phrases: “disregard,” “manipulated, “not sufficient,” “tweaked,” “gimmick,” and “inadequate.” To top off his essay, he sullies the School Board’s good reputation with a bunch of “What if” and “Imagine” unanswered questions, leaving negative impressions upon the reader.
The purpose of a telephone poll is to get a baseline sentiment of likely voters as to the degree of likelihood of bond passage. It is critical to note (something Mr. Laase leaves out) that many critical questions the voter might have asked intentionally are not answered by the interviewer. For example, reasonable questions like:
“How much will I be paying?”
“For how long?”
“What will the money be used for?
“What is the difference between market value and assessed value?
What are the conditions of the buildings?
This is common polling mythology. The poll range was about $28-$38 per $100,000 assessed value. The normal assumption is that the results from the “real” poll, that is, the June 3 vote, will be more favorable to the bond’s passage once the electorate is informed.
Thus, the authorization of $48 per $100,000 is a valid target.
The next stage has been for the School Board to maximize the funding as determined by the voter’s authorization, estimated future interest rates, estimated total assessed values, IRS and California laws, and financial rules. From the taxpayer point of view, how bonds are repaid through the system by interest or principal is the same. The School Board’s proper, conservative, prudent and transparent financial strategy is something that we can all be proud of. One hundred and six million dollars will be well spent for the health and safety of the students and employees, will bring in 21st century technology, and will reduce energy, maintenance and insurance costs.
The most important step now lies with us, the voters.
Please join with me and vote “Yes” for the bond on June 3.
Mr. Ehrlich may be contacted at PMSHA@aol.com
