Coalition of Parents, Businesses, and Taxpayer Advocates Urge NO on Measure YY – San Diego Unified School District Bond
For Release: October 4, 2018
Dave McCulloch / 760-717-4100
$3.5 Billion Bond is a Costly Bailout for Mismanaged San Diego Unified School District
WHAT: With just days before ballots arrive in voters’ mailboxes, the NO on Measure YY campaign will lay out its case with a coalition of parent, business, and taxpayer representatives. Among the key points that will be made:
- Under Measure YY, the average San Diego homeowner will be forced to pay $1358.50 a year in taxes – up $60 to reach $247 for every $100,000 dollars of value.
- Many of the projects on the Measure YY bond list were listed on a previous bond measure approved by voters in 2012! Evidence is clear that the bond is being used to plug the budget deficit. SDUSD has recklessly mismanaged its finances – giving away salary hikes, spiking pensions and hiring to many administrative staff in its bloated bureaucracy.
- SDUSD already has $13.4 billion in bonded debt and interest payments – way more debt than is advisable. This is on top of the billion-plus pension liability SDUSD faces.
- $2.1 billion in previously issued SDUSD bonds are still UNSPENT – spend that money first before borrowing more
- Enrollment has declined 11% - but the school district has failed to adjust its spending program to reflect this new reality
- Despite a vote in 2012 of two-thirds of San Diegans on a ban on use of discriminatory Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), SDUSD will use PLAs on all their project work – increasing the cost to taxpayers by 25 percent on each project.
WHEN:
Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 1 pm
WHERE:
San Diego Unified School District Headquarters, 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, 92103
WHO:
- Carl DeMaio, former San Diego City Councilmember
- Eric Christen, Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction
- Bret Caslavka, President, San Diego Parents for Quality Education
- Stephen Rosen, Finance Chair, San Diego Parents for Quality Education
WHY:
“The San Diego Unified School District board has recklessly mismanaged its finances and now wants struggling San Diego families to pay over $1000 each to bail them out.” – Carl DeMaio
“If approved, Measure YY funds would be awarded using discriminatory Project Labor Agreements that disqualify non-union construction contractors – predominately small businesses and businesses owned by women, minorities, and veterans – from working on projects.” – Eric Christen, Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction
“Vote NO on Measure YY because we simply cannot trust the San Diego Unified School District with more of our money.” – Stephen Rosen, San Diego Parents for Quality Education
“Since 1998 SDUSD has asked and received taxpayer approval for $6.4 billion in bond measures they promised would fix our schools, but we have been lied to and the money has been squandered – vote NO on Measure YY.” – Bret Caslavka, San Diego Parents for Quality Education
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