School Seeks Parcel Tax In Perpetuity

By Mathew Millen

It is time to examine why Prop. R, a Santa Monica Malibu Unified School (SMMUSD) parcel tax on the February 5th ballot, is fatally flawed and why you should vote NO.

The voters approved two parcel taxes, Prop. S, which expires in 2009, and Prop Y which expires in 2011. Prop R repeals Prop S & Y and replaces them with a new parcel tax with no sunset clause, or expiration date.

This tax will be imposed on every homeowner and renter in Santa Monica and Malibu. The tax is the same on each parcel of land, (including vacant land) a home and a large commercial project pay the same amount of money Thus it fundamentally is a regressive tax on the poor.

The proponents of Prop R, seem to have read George Orwell’s book 1984. In that political novel Mr. Orwell describes what happens in a society when the government controls information and history. The government engages in “doublethink,” the concept of holding two contradictory ideas in one’s mind at the same time. The concept is for the public to believe whatever the government tells us, even though we know different.

Let’s examine some of the ways they are using 1984 concepts in this election. The proponents claim Prop R is not a new tax nor is it a tax increase. If the last of the two current parcel taxes expires in 2011, and Prop R will be on every homeowners tax bill forever, with annual cost of living increases for ever ( and annual rent increases in Santa Monica passed on to tenants by their rental housing providers), only a believer in “doublethink” would come to the conclusion a tax that replaces expiring taxes, which goes on forever, and increases every year is neither a new tax, nor will it increase one’s taxes or rent.

I believe a tax that repeals two expiring taxes, and replaces it with a tax that will be on my tax bill forever, and will increase with the rate of inflation every year forever, is a new tax, and a tax increase. “What say you?” The lack of expiration date denies voters the ability to demand accountability and erases their leverage and voice in local government.

The proponents’ 1984-campaign-style literature claim “Without Measure R, neighborhood schools will face serious budget cuts to critical academic programs, and could lose some of our best teachers.”

The Publisher of the Malibu Times in his 1/16/08 editorial urging voters to vote against Prop. R debunked this “doublespeak” and specifically stated “Don’t worry about the money being cut off. If Measure R fails, the old (Y & S) parcel tax money keeps coming to the school, so there is no cutoff to the students.”

They also claim “No other source of funding exists to prevent these cuts if Measure R fails.” The City of Santa Monica has an annual budget of one half billion dollars. It is probably the richest city per capita in the State of California. There is plenty of money flowing into the City of Santa Monica and Malibu to replace the funding for parcel taxes S & Y when they expire years from now.

The proponents in their campaign literature don’t say how much this new tax is, or what it will really cost homeowners and tenants. The cost of the new tax starts at $346 per homeowner, and will increase with the amount of inflation in perpetuity.

With some homeowners facing increasing mortgage payments and foreclosures on the rise, why increase the tax burden on already stressed homeowners? In addition every tenant renting a condo will have their rent increased by $29.00 a month. This will be on top of the new Prop V municipal water and sewer tax that the Rent Control Board just authorized to be passed through to tenants.

The school board is apparently taking voters for granted. While the Proponents of Prop. R are trying to scare voters to approve this new parcel tax by claiming if not passed, the Board will have to lay off teachers and cut programs, ( we already know that is not true) the school Board is busy hiring new administrators and employees.

Just last week, three new employees were hired to run the auditorium at Santa Monica High School. What we have is a mismanaged school system, apparently top heavy with administrators. The more money we give them, the more ways they will find to spend it.

Don’t approve this blank check which you will be writing forever. Vote NO and force accountability from our school board. At least make them propose a parcel tax that has a reasonable expiration date.