PTA Moms Against Measure S
Today, parents of Beckford Ave. Elementary school will be receiving their monthly newsletter. Inside, they'll find the following editorial by a PTA parent urging ALL PTA members to vote No on Measure S. Rock the Vote Beckford!
By Debbie Lopez
It's another campaign year and another chance for Beckford parents to get involved in the future of not only our country, but locally as well. On February 5th, the Beckford Auditorium will once again be a polling place for the upcoming Presidential Primary election.
Are you registered to vote yet?
The last day to register for the Feb. 5th election is January 22nd. Registering is easy! Just visit: http://www.sos.ca.gov/
"NO on Measure S"
PTAs may be asked to help secure the passage of a school bond or local parcel tax election or to participate in campaigns to pass or defeat other election ballot measures.
One of the Purposes of the PTA is "to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth." It is by educating its members — and through them, the general public — on the impact of issues affecting children and youth, that PTAs can best influence the course of action of those who make policy decisions, thereby achieving the Purposes of the PTA. Measure S (the "Cell Phone Tax 'Reduction'"), as written, applies an unfair tax to voters, as we will be charged 9%, while telemarketers (grrr… who call you as you sit down to dinner) will only be charged 5%.
This places an unfair burden on families who rely on cell phones to keep in touch with (and keep tabs on!) their children. The Northridge West Neighborhood Council voted to take a position AGAINST Measure S. The Neighborhood Council agreed with the COURT OF APPEAL OF CALIFORNIA, SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT, DIVISION TWO, who ruled that the current cell phone tax the city is collecting is a violation of Prop. 218, passed by California voters in 1996. By voting NO, the current tax goes away. A YES vote enables City Hall to tax you for using the internet, wireless networks, text messaging, instant messaging, VoIP and similar services.
As a high-performing school, Beckford is not eligible to receive funding (such as Title 1 funds) that we so desperately need. Our Valley neighborhoods contribute a substantial amount in tax revenue each year to the City's General Fund. That is where the money from Prop S. will be going. There is nothing in the wording of Measure S. that specifically binds these funds to things like additional police and fire units. Voters can't ever really be sure exactly where and HOW those General Fund dollars are going to be spent. Unfortunately, we don't see too much of it coming back into the Valley in the way of help for our schools.
If it were not for the generosity, the hard work, the endless hours of volunteering, the commitment, the love and support of our Beckford families, we would not have the funding for many of the wonderful educational programs here at Beckford. Perhaps it's time to take a stand, Valley Families.
How about we just vote NO on Measure S, and instead make a donation to the Bell Fund, or take your sweetie on a date to our "Ace of Hearts" fundraising gala? Money wisely spent, and guaranteed to be used for the betterment of our school and our children's education. PLEASE COME TO OUR PTA ASSOCIATION MEETING ON JAN. 22 AND LEARN MORE!!
Beckford PTA will be encouraging ALL Valley PTAs to join us in voting NO on S. Additionally, in lieu of dumping tea into the L.A. River, we are also asking that at the same time members are voting NO, to send a donation to their PTAs instead of Measure S taxes to the City's General Fund. This way, members can be assured that their hard-earned dollars are going directly to schools instead of lining the coffers of the "Bermuda Triangle" that is the General Fund.
We wil be speaking at the montly PTA President's Meeting later this month, and asking our PTA Council to please circulate the above editorial to each of the schools in the area, and to send it home in their newsletters.
NO ON S AND SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS! PLEASE VOTE NO AND SEND A DONATION TO YOUR LOCAL PTA. OUR SCHOOLS NEED THE MONEY MORE THAN THE CITY, AND WE'LL SPEND IT MORE WISELY, TOO!
Debbie Lopez is a community activist, PTA leader and mom in the North Valley.
Labels: los angeles politics, Measure S, phone tax
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 1/11/2008 12:53:00 AM
29 Comments:
If I Could get my NC to vote on this at our next meeting in two weeks, i need a pro and a con person asap.
Who could I get to speak for measure S and against?
Thanks for any help. I'd like to call my councilman about this; I just don't understand how this could get under the radar when everyone uses cells and wireless data. One would think the city would be liable for concealment or nondisclosure for not properly providing a judicial background for the origins of the tax.
Thanks.
Walter Moore for "No". Your Councilman for "Yes".
This PTA makes a valid point about Prop S just being designated for the General Fund, where it could be swept into instead of going to cops, firefighting and specific services. The S-T NC voted against it for that very reason, and cited how the City Council tried to pull that trick with the trash fee hike promised for cops, until the Mayor and his allies, along with Bratton and LAPD, fought it. (
Thanks, Bitter Bernie, for making people across the city think politicians will likely lie about where they'll use our taxes we approve.)
This concern should be raised with the proponents of the tax, so they can think about how to head off having it swiped into the general fund if it passes. Not just this year, in an annual fight (people come and go, and so do institutional memories and battle lines) but forever if it's passed.
It should also be made clear that the money isn't for union-pushed salary raises; their pushing for it makes people skeptical about that.
Ask those PTA mom's if the mayor gives a shit about your little group, and your little kids, or your safety.
Look around.
So stop crying about it, just vote yes on the damn tax and give the mayor his money, bitch.
Who do you think knows what is best for the city? You, or the mayor?
Are PTA Moms, like, voters? Okie-dokey Moms......invite the Mayor to come speak to you on the issues. Tell him it will be a photo op too!
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen (removes hat and bows low with flourish):
Sots, before you dismiss the PTA Ladies, understand something. Theirs is one of the most powerful lobbys in the State. Theirs is one of the most well-connected and well-used networks in the State. They have far more political clout than anyone gives them credit for. And they count among their membership men as well as women. (PTA Ladies glare at Captain Jack) Begging your pardon, Ladies, but the women far outnumber the men, savvy?
(Looks closely at sots) IF you were wise, you would NOT rile the PTA Ladies for they really do know what is best for our little commonwealth. (Smiles) Especially when it comes to kith and kin, home and hearth, and family.....which, if you will, is something His Nibbs is the obvious expert in, savvy?
(Turns to address PTA Ladies) You have no quarrel from us, Ladies. (Bows gallantly) Besides, even the most simplest of fools knows that hell hath no fury like that of the PTA Ladies, savvy?
(Tom's LeBong Friday Presentation Voice): I too would like to agree with the great Captain Jack Sparrow and say thank you to all the great PTA mothers who have kept me abreast of all the bamboozlements and beuracrapsy of LAUSD. And I applaud their efforts in helping to raise awareness and rally the troops to help get the word out in the community to "Vote NO on "S" (for "Shady").
The mayor seems to be able to raise millions and millions to hand over to media outlets to buy advertising for his cell phone tax (prop s, for shady). Imagine if he worked that hard on raising money for the city.
Maybe he can set up a "save the city" non-profit and all the eli broads and AKGs and everyone else can donate, then he can use the money to provide the City with the basic services he claims will no longer be provided unless you pay the bandit his randsom. (To use a Captain/Pirate-like analogy.)
But most importantly, Captain Jack, I see that you are a Captain. I hope that means you are a Captain of a football team. Because we all know how important football is to kids, and parents, the schools and the world.
Good morning Zuma lad (tips hat):
No, I am not the captain of a football team. But the navigator was the captain of his football squad in his country of origin and on of the Five went to college on a full scholarship, was a place-kicker and even played on a winning team in a Bowl game.
Speaking of Bowl games, we'll be off to you-know-what in Phoenix in a few weeks. (Strokes chin and wonders) And who do you suppose we'll see at the Big Game, savvy?
a few fat housewives in the valley doesn't make a movement.
not going against this mayor who has the support of business, unions, the Latino community, etc. even Republicans are supporting this tax, ask David Fleming
the city is near a budget crisis are you fat moms going to cry when your car is jacked and we don't have enough money for LAPD cause you don't want to pay a few pennies on your cel phone?
Measure S wins.
10:58 said a few fat housewives in the valley doesn't make a movement.
Um... make that phat housewives, loser.
xoxo
No, Republicans are NOT in favor of Measure S and David Fleming does not speak for me. REPUBLICANS DO NOT SUPPORT MEASURE S. The Captain is right. I wouldn't piss off the PTA. Remember, they helped back the anti-AB1381 fight. And they won. They are also the historically the largest voting bloc outside of seniors and Latinos. Really, you don't want to piss these people off unless you want them to personally show up at your door, get in your face and demand answers. They have something your golden boy wants and that's votes. So don't forget that.
Oh, and not all housewives are fat, so kiss my skinny ass. But all moms/housewives either have belonged, currently belong or will belong to the PTA or PTSA in the next school year.
How about if everyone of us texts ten friends who live in the city of LA to vote no on the phone tax?
No, not "all moms belong to the PTA" or other public school group because most of us, the ones who aren't fat enough to live in the outlying areas of the Valley and even think phat is gauche, live in high end areas where we have no local schools for our kids because
all the kids are bused in and the schools might as well be in gang zones or a low rent area of Mexico.
The pols and LAUSD can get away with this because our moms are too liberal to dare to say that this sucks, so they have to scramble to spend over $20,000/year for private schools because the system sucks.
So I for one wouldn't benefit a dime from more money sinking into someone else's crappy schools, the PTA moms should keep on volunteering and doing their local thing. However we all would lose if we have to keep losing cops and firefighters and city services.
But as third poster said, the PTA moms were right about one thing: As Bitter Bernie's (failed) attempt to swipe the trash fee hike for cops into the General Fund which he mismanaged all year showed, since Prop S is also just designated for "General Fund" there is nothing that can legally keep Bernie from swiping this into the General Fund. Especially when there are new CM's who may not be as alert to this bait-and-switch and be willing to fight him as we had this year.
I'd like to see the Mayor's office pushed to explain how this will not happen again, and leave the city open for battle over the funds every year.
I LOVE IT!!!!!!
Is there any kind of recycling company that might sponsor a "Cell Phone Dumping" party at City Hall? We could bring in all our old, non-working cell phones, and donate the proceeds to charity?
xoxo
12:56, I believe this was meant for Valley members of the PTA.
You "High End Area" Moms keep your money. You need it because your "High End Area Schools" are crap.
And any Mom/Dad who doesn't care enough about their kids to look into the schools where they are thinking of buying homes are fools.
Just like 12:56.
Zuma Dogg said:
Tom's LeBong Friday Presentation Voice): I too would like to agree with the great Captain Jack Sparrow ...
Oh my gawd, Zuma, stop ... you're turning me on with that sexxy Tom LeBong voice!
Captain Jack,
Speaking of shady super bowl trips and the one year anniversary of last year's, in Florida. Did you see the LA Times today. They did a story on Wyeverwood. I though of you, fo sho!
GOTTA MAKE SURE THEY DON'T CUT DOWN THOSE HISTORIC TREES AND BUILDINGS!
But the good news is...CM Huizar told the LA Times that he WILL be taking public comment on the issue!
So the community can take a sigh of relief and relax.
wyvernwood article in LA Times (Nothing but a fluff piece.)
To 1:06 dreg of the MS Blog world:
Of course everyone knows the schools here suck when they buy houses but we don't want to live surrounded by fat, braindead losers like you who are too dull for Idaho. So we choose cheaper housing living amongst fat morons, or deal with the reality of having to pay for private schools.
Those are the only choices we have in this city because the pols don't care about "the wealthy" only about the P C minorities. Who can't get to the lower middle class areas of the Valley where you live as easily as to the closer Westside.
And because morons like you are so incredibly, unbelievably, undeniably braindead stupid as to read this as people who can afford homes starting at $2 million don't have the brains to look into public schools in their area -- it's your type of too-stupid-to-vote Jane Public who has allowed things to go as low as they have in this city.
And I sure don't want to pay any more of my taxes to "educate" your kids into being as stupid and obviously totally "low reading comprehension product of the worst LAUSD schools" as the dogg would say about you.
It makes the head spin, wondering how someone got as stupid as you.
Snooty Moron at 12:58 condescended:
And because morons like you are so incredibly, unbelievably, undeniably braindead stupid as to read this as people who can afford homes starting at $2 million ...
Sorry we can't all afford the rarified air that you inhabit, but honestly, if you choose to buy a house for $2 mil, that you KNOW is in a crappy school area, you really have no business crying over having to pay for private school.
As Bruce once sang, "You want it, you take it ... you pay the price."
Sorry, that would be Snooty Moron at 1:28, not 12:58
1256 is classic Parque Esquleto trained Michael Trujillo. He thinks that he is being real cute by pretending to be some sort of conservative troll but he slips in that little mayor spin when you're not looking.
What's up Mike? Going job hunting on February 7th?
We knew a year ago what Huizar was going do with the property last year when he went to Miami and brought the cash back for Villa. Huizar swore, before the election, that he was going to preserve the property. As soon as he was elected, Griego and Alaltorre, handed the deal with the Miami group.. 2 BILLION DOLLARS.... The people there pay $1,250 to $1500 ( multiple wage earners) a month for rats and roaches. The developer will make the property 15% for low income.
Can anyone count..how much is 15% of 1500 units or 2,000 units. The rest will be high priced. Only 200 families out of the present 1500 that have been depossed will be able to go back...and then they probably wont be able to afford that.
How many people on Social Security can afford a $1,500 apartment?
real cute Higby don't know what you or your valley fatasses have planned but don't even think you can sink measure s
do you really think you're bigger than the mayor? oh well you are but not in a good way.
1:58: 1:28 is subsidizing your kids in your school -- without people like them, LAUSD and your school would have sunk way lower way long ago. You should get down on your knees and lay offerings at their feet for being so willing to give you their charity. Or maybe not willing but doing it anyway. Maybe because they like some aspects of the city and were raised here. In better times.
But you can be sure many do move out of LAUSD once they have kids so they're not subsidizing you.
Rancho Palos Verdes and Manhattan Beach are full of former LA-ites who're tired of giving dummies like you their charity. Can't you at least accept this charity with more respect, by trying to learn to read and being a little less stupid? What kind of example are you for your kids? What do PTA moms like you say about LAUSD?
3:23, you'll never make it as a hill brat. Not a born-and-bread hill brat. Not even a carpet-bagger new money hill brat. If you were a true hill brat you wouldn't get so caught up in a flat-lander issue because what you way is not true. You'd like to think you're a hill brat. But you're not.
PS: And even if you are, your kids probably go to Peninsula, and you probably live in Mira Verde and the only time you get close to the gates is when you go complain about something or other at the District.
What kind of a "hill brat" are you, anyway? Can you define? What part of the hills has decent public schools, even one or two, please let us know? Who said I was a "hill brat" or flatlander (you mean, Holmby Hills and Country Club Estates as low rent?)
Name your area schools -- you can't. Leaving us to try to read between the lines of your illiteracy are you saying that your knowledge of "hill brats" are kids too proudly snobby to care whether the hoi polloi have public schools or not -- hence proving to Valley Moms their worst impression of you?
Let me guess: Your parents proudly voted for Kerry as limo libs, right? Whose ads promoting social welfare for the pitiful peasants including him snowboarding, windsailing and tele-skiing to show he was one of the guys?
And WHAT are you trying to say, except that you equate illiterate snottiness with laughably misguided superiority? Boy, even zuma dogg can make easy mince meat out of you.
I think 5:19 is trying to say he's from Rancho Palos Verdes, where all the conformist, uncreative snotty types move to. And because they're dull have nothing but money to boast about. Trust me, anything that can be said about Westside "brats" is way too mild for that bunch -- at least the Westside is full of creative people and a few have a conscience.
Hmmm, if anyone is thinking of moving to the Rancho for their public schools and quality of life... This guy makes the O. C. and Newport/ Laguna Beach sound downright "deep." At least they admit they're shallow and use enough collagen, silicone and Botox to immobilize a cow.
In the Rancho, they get territorial about someone from a neighboring hood "outside the gates" surfing in "their" water and literally knock him up or even off. Makes Iran vs. the Navy look like a friendly debate.
Frankie -
I wrote the ballot argument against Prop S, and am speaking to various Neighborhood Councils around the city. Visit my site and send me an e-mail about talking to yours.
http://NoOnPropS.com
Walter Moore -- I NEED YOU JAN. 22!
Will be in touch soon.
xoxo
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