Vote ‘No’ on high school district bond

RE: Prop AA: San Dieguito Union High School District $449 million bond proposal:

As the founding member of the 858 Tea party and parent of a Torrey Pines High School student, the San Dieguito Union High School District’s planned $449 million bond offering on the November 2012 ballot is exactly what we stand against: increased taxes, wasteful use of tax-payer dollars and a disconnect with/disrespect for the very people the board is sworn to represent and act in the best interest of:

• Pork. The bond is filled with unnecessary pork projects. Example: $33.9 million for Canyon Crest Academy — a brand new school!

• Shell Game: The bond moves monies from solar projects (with low-interest loans) and the Torrey Pines Football field improvement into the bond, to be paid-for over the next three generations.

• No Future Monies: If the bond is passed, it will hamstring schools with obsolete equipment while crippling the district from seeking fresh monetary streams down the road.

• Open Ended Earmarks & Junk: Tens of millions of dollars with open-ended earmarks that can be spent at will and with no justification.

• Methodology: The bond consulting company that performed the survey (Dolinka) biased the polling results (favorable to the bond) by asking leading questions and asking

non-homeowners

if they would approve a bond. It is homeowners who will

pay

for the bond —not nonhomeowners.

• Tax Rates: Property tax rates will go up significantly to pay for the bond. On a typical North County Coastal home of $1 million dollars, the tax bill would increase some $250 per year. That’s on top of any other new taxes assessed against homeowners.

This board has shown it cannot even balance its own checkbook. In fiscal 2011-2012, the board ran a

deficit

of $3.5 million. For fiscal ‘12-’13, it’s projected that the district will be millions more in

the red.

Enough! Image how this board will squander $449 million!

I strongly urge a negative stance and a “no” vote on this bond. I suggest to the board to find another way than a general obligation bond to improve and upgrade schools.

Graham C. Ledger