Measure A = Higher Taxes

The raise my taxes crowd was out if force this morning. Leaving my house I passed 5 different groups of people on street corners all carrying vote yes for Measure A signs. I was tempted to take the day off work and go get a "Measure A = Higher Taxes" sign and stand with them.

Measure A:

As required by the California Constitution, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, or the acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses. The Board of Education hereby certifies that it has evaluated the safety, class-size reduction, and information technology needs of the District in developing this list of school facilities projects.

• Upgrade deteriorating plumbing and water drainage systems, and outdated restrooms;
• Repair and replace roofs;
• Build new classrooms to accommodate student growth;
• Modernize computer technology throughout the District, including improving computer labs, renovating electrical systems, and providing additional computers;
• Modernize outdated classrooms, including improving handicapped accessibility (ADA), lighting, ceilings, flooring and painting;
• Provide adequate multi-purpose rooms through new construction and/or renovation;
• Make health and safety improvements such as upgrading fire alarm and communication systems;
• Construct a more efficient maintenance, operation, and transportation facility to decrease operational expenses and replace the current inadequate facility;
• Replace outdated playground equipment to improve student safety;
• Renovate or expand bus loops as necessary to increase student safety and improve traffic flow;
• Renovate, expand, construct, and upgrade student support facilities including joint use projects, as needed;
• Necessary site preparation/restoration in connection with new construction, renovation or remodeling, or installation or removal of relocatable classrooms;
• Address unforeseen conditions revealed by construction/modernization (e.g., plumbing or gas line breaks, dry rot, seismic, structural, etc.); and
• Furnish and equip schools as needed to the extent permitted by law.

Full text here.

Two things worry me about this.

1) It raises our taxes. More importantly it raises our taxes yet will do nothing to address the real problems with the public school system in Kern County? This is all about making our buildings pretty. Not penny towards educating our children. I thought this stuff is what we started a state lottery for several years ago?

2) With everything that is wrong with the schools in this district the number one fix on their list is "• Upgrade deteriorating plumbing and water drainage systems, and outdated restrooms;"

That's right folks Measure A is all about New Bathrooms.

Count me out! I'm voting N0!