Sound Politics: Vote NO on the Feb. 6 Seattle School levies

January 22, 2007

Vote NO on the Feb. 6 Seattle School levies

Yet another reason to vote NO on the Seattle school levies --- the district is lying to the public. From today's Seattle Times:

The district is quick to point out the bond and levy would simply continue existing taxes. In fact, officials argue, the tax rate may even fall below current levels over the life of the levy if property values continue to increase.

That's intentionally misleading. The levies are tax increases. The expiring 2004 operations levy was for $117 million in 2007. This year's measure starts at $123.5 million in 2008. The expiring 2001 construction levy was for $66.3 million a year. This year's construction levy is for $81.7 million a year.

These amounts are apportioned across all property owners. On average, a property's share of the levy will remain nearly constant, reduced only slightly for new construction (I learned earlier that new construction adds only about 1.5% to the tax base a year). Government officials love to talk about the "rate per $1,000 of assessed value", because it may fall as assessed values rise. But that number is meaningless. The proposed levies are tax hikes, plain and simple. The district should justify the levy increases on the merits. To imply that they're anything other than an increase is a lie.

Vote NO, unless you think it's a good idea to reward government officials who lie to you.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at January 22, 2007 12:03 PM | Email This

Comments

1. In my area we're voting on an increase in the Redmond Fire Protection District levy. Last year's attempt by Redmond to raise the levy rate to $1.88 from $1.23 per $1,000 of assessed value a (while building their new $40 million city hall) was worse, but the increase this time from $1.23 to $1.50 isn't much better.

And why is this increase needed? For starters, because Redmond needs money to fund the new Redmond Ridge fire station that replaced the station on Redmond/Fall City Road. The new Redmond Ridge station is "necessary" because of the new "city" of Redmond Ridge and Trilogy, with their insta-population of 10,000 new residents. But the fire district's decision to open that station at the expense of the station on 202 took a local fire station away from communities and neighborhoods made less safe today as a result of the decision that was driven by the lack of funds to keep both open.

Maybe Redmond Ridge and Trilogy should have been required to fund their new fire station themselves, while leaving the existing system in place under current funding. But we know now that Redmond and King County showed little concern in forcing those developments to fund their infrastructure requirements.

I'm voting no because I'm sick of paying for growth that is making hundreds of millions in profit for the growth industry, and advancing the political careers of politicians who are placing the people well behind the interests who fund their drives to power.

Posted by: MJC on January 22, 2007 12:23 PM

2. Vote no on schools.

Vote no on the envirionment.

Vote for guns everywhere.

Vote no on all taxes.

Vote to eliminate government.

Vote for certain people's religious beliefs to be forced upon all.

What a great country, city and state we would be...

Posted by: StefanisWrong on January 22, 2007 12:55 PM

3. Stefan says: "Vote NO, unless you think it's a good idea to reward government officials who lie to you."

HUH? He's the big supporter of the current president of the US?

Stefan..your credibility is worth as much as this asinine statement.

Posted by: StefanisWrong on January 22, 2007 01:01 PM

4. Stefan- Calling this a tax hike is like saying the state hikes the sales tax every year because they keep the tax rate constant while the tax base (the value of purchases) increases.

As for whether renewing(or "continuing", "reinstating", or "replacing") an existing tax is a "hike", that's semantics. The point is that the tax rate is staying around the same.

Posted by: Bruce on January 22, 2007 01:07 PM

5. posts 2--4 live in a "it's only a few cents" world. creeping spending & leaks in budgets. never asking for performance audits, actual results of past levies, effectiveness results or questioning whether we need something in the first place or if we can do without or find alternatives.

like the state of art libraries, new rec centers and other gilded items wanted ("needed") by every city. it's the "just say yes" spending mantra of most Americans. everything is a need. nothing is a want or an option. and---like the info-mercials-"...it's only xx easy payments of $xx over xxx years" or "..it's only a latte a day..."
look at nature. small trickles turn into rivers.

citizens are consumers & understand govt services cost money. they don't mind taxes, but want value for their taxes paid & efficient use of those expenditures.

Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on January 22, 2007 01:44 PM

6. Jimmie, in your 2nd paragraph you blame "most Americans" for wanting too much, and in your 3rd paragraph you praise "citizens" for wanting efficiency. Which is it?

It's both, of course. And everyone agrees that we have to make wise spending decisions both individually and collectively.

Posted by: Jimmie on January 22, 2007 02:24 PM

7. I inadvertantly signed post #6 above as "Jimmie". Sorry, Jimmie, I was not trying to confuse anyone into believing you were arguing with yourself...

Posted by: Bruce on January 22, 2007 02:32 PM

8. Go ahead and vote no, who needs public education anyhow. It's not like the kids are going to grow up and be doctors or anything. Heck, might as well not educate them, vote socialists into the state legislature and create a nanny state to feed the uneducated - - oh wait, you folks in King County are already doing that.

$1.18 per $1000 assessed value, not even half of what we happily pay in our district. If you have objections to the way the school board uses the funds, then RUN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. That is how you can make a positive difference. You all should flood the primaries with conservative candidates who can fix public education and not destroy it.

Posted by: Doug on January 22, 2007 02:56 PM

9. Gotta vote no on Prop 1, the captial bond measure (but vote for Prop 2, the operations levy; it's vital to the district). The capital bond measure is a lot more than they got last time (up about $50M). And where to start on the list?
-their district standard is building to last 50 years and yet they are building not 1 but 2 high schools to last only 25 years. If you're under 50, you may get to pay to renovate these buildings again in your lifetime
-they want to build a new K-8 school which is next to an elementary school (literally) with a high school next to that with another high school down the street and within a mile? Another K-8. Huge waste of programs and money.
-None of it aligns with school closures so the big sell on how those kids whose schools are being closed will get better was not true (at least from a building standpoint)
-And, while some of the buildings are bad, they didn't even put some of the worst ones on the list (I'm thinking of the 1904 building with - I'm not kidding - a boiler that is 103 years old. Still works but come on!
-Last capital levy went over by $34M (in fairness, construction costs have gone way up but that's a lot to be over)

And to Doug, all voters have is their vote for levies/bonds and their School Board vote. Don't take away one of them by saying that voters can't ask questions and challenge the district to provide answers as to how our money is being spent.

Posted by: school parent on January 22, 2007 07:43 PM

10. Thanks parent,

I'm not sure about the bond levies there, I'd only ask for the Superintendent to research when is the best time to get the most matching funds from the State. Enrollment numbers, the Gov's proposed budget, etc. all play a part. The state is granting construction funds at far less than 50-year buildings, but I assume it's more than 25 years.

As for the levy, I think it's very important to get conservatives on local school boards so they can create policy that will improve education. As for Seattle M&O's, it seems to me that they don't even come near reaching full levy authorization. What I mean by that is that the school board has historically had to run levies that are far less than they are allowed to in order to get the liberals in Seattle to tax themselves. They are more than willing to tax people outside of their area, but when it comes to taxing themselves, forget it.

Our district usually bumps up against the levy lid and that means year after year our school has about $500 more per student in revenue from the M&O. It adds up during the 13 years a student is in school. In order to insure that any additional money is well spent, I'd implore all conservatives who care about education to run for their school boards. If enough of you do, it is very likely that you can take some seats.

Posted by: Doug on January 22, 2007 08:02 PM

11. I can not vote on this levy since I am not in Seattle. But several things still come to mind. Do we not sell trees in our forests to provide for capital expenditures for our schools. Where is that money going? I thought that revenue source would more than pay for required new Schools. But has that money been diverted from schools to the general fund to pay for more government services. Second thing that hits me the schools want more money. Mass transit wants more money. Olympia wants more money with talk of income taxes. To get government to fix and build new roads we have to agree to more taxes to pay for them. To get Emergency services we have to vote yes for more taxes to pay for them. Every time you turn around the government is trying to take more money. Fees are taxes. More taxes on businesses means less employee's they can hire. Less jobs mean less revenue to tap to pay for more services.
State Government underfunded retirement programs. We have a surplus in cash flow yet most of it will be spent on more government programs. not to pay for promises. I guess Democrats do not care about those who will retire because they will not fund the retirement fund. Every time I see government in action it is to get more money. Then spend like drunken Sailors during the good years and Charge up the bills by not paying for future fund needs during the bad years.
This is just one of dozens of new fees or taxes that will be requested this year. When will it end. I guess when the State is the only employer in the state. If a program fails cut the loses not do as all Democrats do throw more money at it because it makes them feel good and it is not their money.

Posted by: David Anfinrud on January 22, 2007 09:30 PM

12. how about a levy-limiting rule?

one can only float a levy or limited amount of them ONCE every x years. prove your case for more $$. show how past plans failed or succeeded to justify your request. stop the slow death by 1000 levy slashes. in exchange for more levy ballot chances, show some elimimated spending elsewhere or killed programs that didnt work.

no one is cumulatively adding all levies together for a global view of total tax burdens and levies. that's the problem. taken as a whole, they would surprise most taxpayers. taken in bits, they are hidden.

Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on January 22, 2007 10:38 PM

13. Just when you think it is safe to vote again, the ballot for my friends dead father (RIP 2005) arrives in the mail. We are thinking of having a card reading to determine "voter intent".

Posted by: duhh on January 23, 2007 11:00 AM

14. Short and not very sweet: Just say no to both levies.

Posted by: WVH on January 23, 2007 12:04 PM

15. I don't know the outcome of this particular levy election, I do know that I probably will be voting no on every levy that comes from now on. This has forced me to the tough realization that the current institutional structure will remain in place until those in charge are forced to consider something else. The late Jesse Unrah of CA said that money is the mother's milk of politics. Cut off the funds. The optimist in me says that when public schools become untenable, then what citizens will have to do is help parochial schools take in more students, those that can, home school, and those that are able fundraise, do so to help private schools provide more scholarships and we will have to see what other solutions develop. Without competition, a quality public school system is dead anyway. At that point, I would be willing to help in a lawsuit on behalf of those stuck in public school, like some in New Jersey who are suing on behalf of students in failing schools to force school choice. My two cents.

Posted by: WVH on January 24, 2007 09:03 AM

16. It is getting harder and harder for me to give the schools more money. All they do is spend it on WASL prep, not real teaching and learning. I don't think a day goes by when one of my children's classes isn't influenced by Bergeson's or Carkhuff's "thinking systems".

(For those that don't know, the WASL test is based on thinking skills as described by Robert Carkhuff and his ideas are controversial)

Posted by: Agent99 on January 24, 2007 08:54 PM