I read United Parents of Culver City’s online petition about the bond measure, and I have some of questions about the way they wrote it.
First, their use of the figure $70M. I know of no number that has been agreed upon by our governing School Board. How did they come up with this? Is this just a number the UPCC thinks is correct?
Has the UPCC included their unofficial figure because that is what they want on the ballot? Are they riding the community outrage trying to take that financial decision from our governing board?
Agreeing On All Points?
When a petition has more than one issue on it – the UPCC petition has multiple – it becomes difficult to know what the signers really agreed with. Did all the listed signers agree with all the points on the petition? How many of signers agreed with all but one but signed it anyway?
More on the Way
The UPCC petition suggests (though it doesn’t come out and say it) that $70M probably would not be the only General Obligation bonds issued by the School District. Is this just the initial one? How many will follow? What will be the grand total of the bonds issued to fix our schools?
How High the Sky?
By signing the petition, are citizens also agreeing to spend $165M to fix everything listed in the Facilities Needs Assessment report and make property owners pay over $400M back in principal and interest to bondholders? The added debt would bring our community's indebtedness to over $10,000 per man, women and child in Culver City.
Will of the People
Will some in the community try to portray this petition as being the actual will of the people?
This governing board should not concede or give in to any one minority group’s pressure tactics, no matter how many signatures the UPCC gathers.
No Room for Dissent
Petitions never should be seen as an actual vote of the people, because there is no room on a petition for non-signers to show their dissent, only agreement.
Governing Board’s Job
What is put on a ballot and when it is presented to the voters are the sole discretion of our governing board, not of the people. Once put on the ballot, only then does the electorate make the final decision whether to approve.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
