This is an archive of a past election. See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/sd/ for current information. |
League of Women Voters of California
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Proposition AA Bond Issue Southwestern Community College District 64,548 / 69.88% Yes votes ...... 27,817 / 30.12% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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Information shown below: Official Information | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | | |||||
To relieve overcrowding, improve high-tech training facilities, repair classrooms, and build college buildings, by: Repairing aging classrooms; Replacing leaking roofs, aging ventilation and aging plumbing; Renovating science labs, libraries; Building new classrooms, science labs, libraries; Acquiring/ improving real property; Renovating electrical systems for modern technology/ Internet access; Upgrading fire security, alarms, sprinklers; shall Southwestern Community College District issue $89,354,000 in bonds at interest rates within the legal limit, with annual independent audits and NO money for administrators' salaries?
The proceeds of these bonds of the Southwestern Community College District would be used to relieve overcrowding, improve high-technology training facilities, repair classrooms and build college buildings by: repairing aging classrooms; replacing leaking roofs, aging ventilation and aging plumbing; renovating science laboratories and libraries; building new classrooms, science laboratories and libraries; acquiring and improving real property; renovating electrical systems for modern technology and internet access; and upgrading fire security, alarms and sprinklers. The interest rate on any bond, which is established at the time of bond issuance, could not exceed twelve percent (12%) per annum. The final maturity date of any bond could be no later than twenty-five (25) years after the date of the bond. Principal and interest on the bonds would be paid by revenue derived from an annual tax levied upon the taxable property within the Southwestern Community College District in an amount sufficient to pay the interest as it becomes due and to provide a sinking fund for payment of the principal on or before maturity. Article XIII A of the California Constitution exempts from the one percent property tax rate limitation ad valorem taxes to pay the interest and redemption charges on any bonded indebtedness for the acquisition or improvement of real property approved by the voters on or after July 1, 1978. The approval must be by two-thirds of the votes cast by the voters voting on the proposition. Legal authorization is contained in state law permitting school districts to issue bonds at the interest rate, for the period of time, and for the specified purposes, subject to two-thirds voter approval. A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of authorizing the Southwestern Community College District to issue bonds for the purpose stated in the proposition. A "no" vote is a vote against authorizing the Southwestern Community College District to issue bonds for the purpose stated in the proposition.
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News and Analysis San Diego Union-Tribune (via KPBS)
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Arguments For Proposition AA | Arguments Against Proposition AA | ||
Proposition AA makes urgently needed repairs and renovates classrooms
for technology at Southwestern College,
with strict Taxpayer Safeguards.
Southwestern Community College campus is aging, deteriorating and in need of repair. Many of its buildings are nearly 40 years old. Roofs leak. Plumbing, ventilation and electrical systems need renovation and repair. Sidewalks are cracking. Fire safety equipment including alarms, smoke detectors and sprinklers is old and needs to be replaced. Proposition AA makes these urgently needed repairs. It will be less expensive to make these repairs now than to wait. Otherwise, these problems will only get worse and wind up costing us even more money. For 40 years, Southwestern Community College has been the only public institution of higher education in the South Bay, preparing local residents to transfer to 4-year colleges and providing skills training for people to obtain real jobs in the community. But, aging classrooms and laboratories, built before desktop computers and the Internet, cannot adequately equip our students with the high-tech skills they need to compete for 21 st Century jobs. Proposition AA will upgrade electrical systems and renovate classrooms and laboratories for computer technology to provide a highly trained, well-educated workforce helping our local economy. STRICT TAXPAYER SAFEGUARDS guarantee Proposition AA funds will be spent exactly as promised efficiently and without waste!
Shirley Horton, Mayor, Chula Vista Diane Rose, Mayor, Imperial Beach George Waters, Mayor, National City Tom Smisek, Mayor, Coronado Michele Dawson, Classified Senate President
YES on Proposition AA.
AMBAR AUSANO, President, Associated Student Organization GRANT J. MILLER, President Southwestern College Academic Senate GREG COX, County Supervisor GARY NORDSTROM, President, Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce BILL KOLENDER, San Diego County Sheriff
"FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ALARMS, SMOKE DETECTORS, SPRINKLERS" WE HAVE TO ASK, ARE OUR SCHOOLS SAFE? WHY HAVEN'T THEY BEEN FIXING THESE PROBLEMS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS? IS IT BECAUSE THEY WERE SPENDING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY ON FRIVOLOUS CLASS'S. LIKE:
$89,000,000 BOND @ 6% FOR 25 YEARS = $172,000,000 DOLLARS.
ARE SOUTH-BAY RESIDENTS READY TO SPENT OVER A HALF OF BILLION DOLLARS. I DON'T THINK SO! THE BOTTOMLESS MONEY PIT OF EDUCATION MUST COME TO AN END NOW! IT'S TIME THE BOARD, ADMINISTRATION, AND TEACHER'S ASK FOR A CITIZENS REVIEW OF WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES SHOULD BE. WITH THE 3'RS ON TOP AND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS ON THE BOTTOM WE URGE A NO VOTE ON AA & BB BOB GREEN, Real Estate Broker MARTIN HAASE, Business Owner BARBARA A. BROWN CNSI - Chula Vista Elementary School | What! ANOTHER new tax?!
We've already passed enough school bonds! We passed Prop. 98 which established a minimum level of spending. Presently over 40% of California's state General Fund is being spent on education. Then, just two years ago we passed Prop. 1A, the gigantic $9.2 BILLION state bond. Money is POURING into education. Even after squandering millions of dollars over the years, the education establishment is still seeking a huge tax increase to do what taxpayers thought bureaucrats had been doing all along maintaining and improving our schools. Instead of more taxes we need better accountability. Make no mistake Prop AA is a TAX INCREASE. Property taxes must be raised to pay for this bond plus the interest over the years. Money is fungible money not spent in one place can be spent elsewhere. We already pay enough for all the items in the bond proposal. The problem is that money is spent elsewhere, primarily on salaries for the education establishment that far exceeds what the market would dictate. Total public funding for education greatly exceeds average private school costs. This bond measure is really another attempt to free up existing capital funds so that they can be spent on salaries, perks, bureaucracy, "prevailing wage", high construction costs, and other unnecessary or even harmful expenses. Had enough?
There are only three voter positions when it comes to taxes: If you agree with position "3" then you should support this bond.
However, if you agree with either position "1" or "2", then you should
vote NO on Prop. AA.
BOB GREEN, Real Estate Broker RICHARD CARDULLA, Libertarian Candidate, 79th State Assembly EDWARD M. TEYSSIER, Vice-Chair, San Diego Tax Fighters DAVID A. WILLOUGHBY, Ph. D., Libertarian Candidate, 50th Congressional District STEVE GREEN, Chairman, San Diego County Libertarian Party
Prop. AA makes these urgently needed repairs now. If we wait, things will only get worse and cost us more money. Out of 71 community college districts in California, Southwestern College ranks 70th in funding second from the bottom. Southwestern has maintained one of the top ranked educational programs of any community college because it has managed its resources so well. Southwestern has an AAA/ Aaa credit rating and has earned outstanding marks on its annual audits for the past 10 years. If Prop. AA doesn't pass, Southwestern College could start down the path toward becoming a second rate institution. Strict Taxpayer Safeguards, written into Prop. AA, ensure funds are spent as promised efficiently and without waste.
Sheriff Bill Kolender
Preparing Our Students for 4-Year College and Jobs. JERRY L. FOLEY, Chief Petty Officer US Navy (retired) GRANT MILLER, President, Southwestern College Academic Senate KAREN NEUDECKER, Small Business Owner, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) PAT LA PIERRE, Associate Director, Golden State Mobile Home Owners Assn. HARRY SHANK, Bank Executive |
Tax Rate Statement |
An election will be held in the Southwestern Community College
District (the "College") on November 7, 2000, to authorize the sale of
up to $89,354,000 in bonds of the College to finance
the acquisition and improvement of real property for college purposes.
If the bonds are approved, the College expects to sell the bonds in
five series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds
will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable
property within the College District. The following information is
provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the
Elections Code of the State of California. Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the College. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at any given sale, market interest rates at the time of each bond sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The actual dates of sale of said bonds and the amount sold at any given time will be governed by the construction needs of the College and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the College District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.
Dated: August 10, 2000.
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