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Over the past several weeks the Culver City Observer has run letters, Columns and Commentaries on the on the tax increase measures on the November 6 ballot. In order to keep the citizens of Culver City informed with the diverse n opinions on the issues we have put all of the letter we have published in our print editon on our home page this week. Be sure to check in on Tuesday night for the latest returns....
Dear Editor, In the 1980’s I put the first ballot measure that was made by a resident on the ballot, so the city residents could decide on what they wanted in their city. It did not cost the residents ANYTHING. It was called Measure 1 (the Height Initiative) and ensured that we wouldn’t have excessive growth and high-rises in the city. It won with 90% of the vote. Now there are two ballot measures that WILL cost us a lot of money, that seems to be a recurring is a continuing problem with the...
Let’s have Tax Accountability Dear Editor, In the season of the “Op Ed”, I thought I should join in. When I moved from Venice to Culver City, in 1990, it was for good schools (we heard through people with children-no internet then), a house big enough for my family and a back yard. I truly missed hearing the waves at night and taking the short walk to see the sunset over the ocean. It was quite an adjustment for me but didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this 5 square mile city. I...
Californians are proud of our state’s leading role in technology, entertainment and diversity. However, there is one area where California ranks almost dead last: K-12 education support. Our state ranks 48th in per-pupil spending, largely as a result of restrictions passed decades ago on property taxes [Prop. 13]. That’s why 118 California school districts have passed local parcel taxes to raise funds for their schools to ensure a high-quality education. In Los Angeles County alone, 15 sch...
Serving our School District at-large and individual school sites (particularly for programs in the Whole Child initiative) has given me a unique perspective on the efforts that our district makes to serve all of our children's needs. We are part of a district that continually strives to better our children’s educational experiences. This kind of school district is only possible in a community that recognizes our children as our highest priority and most precious resource. So, when I was asked t...
Kudos to the Observer for publishing a range of citizen letters in support of Measure K on Oct. 4. This demonstrates the Observer’s balanced approach to the ballot issue despite its columnists’ recommendations to vote against K. I would like to address some of the objections raised by these columnists, and express my wholehearted support for the Culver City Unified School District and its teachers, staff, and administration. George Laase states that “Most of the funds raised, if not all, will...
This letter is in support of Measure K, on the November 6 ballot. By any reasonable standard, our schools are under-funded. Whether you blame state or county government, bureaucracy, politicians, or something else, it's undeniable that the amount of money which CCUSD receives is much less per student than most school districts across the country, even though this is a more expensive place to live. The state of California controls CCUSD's budget, and state law doesn't give school districts much...
Many thanks to Observer columnist Neil Rubinstein for his eye-opening report on compensation figures for 27 Culver City municipal employees, ranging from $284,000 to $539,000 per year! I would have also liked to see a list of the City retirees who get over $10,000 or even $15,000 per month (for life) in pension payments. Do some of these people really deserve to be paid more than double that of any U.S. congressperson or senator? Yet, at the same time, our City Council has officially declared a “fiscal emergency,” holding out their tin cup onc...
Dear Editor, Culver City homeowner’s are currently paying taxes for UNIFIED SCHOOLS and COMMUNITY COLLEGE, and we have been for some years. I have been paying, approximately $100.00 per year. Check your current and past tax bills. The majority of students that attend West Los Angeles Collage live outside of Culver City, but we, as CC homeowners carry that tax burden. Prop K, states our schools are in disrepair. If that is the case we must ask ourselves what were the past years taxes for our U...
Dear Editor, In the season of the “Op Ed”, I thought I should join in. When I moved from Venice to Culver City, in 1990, it was for good schools (we heard through people with children-no internet then), a house big enough for my family and a back yard. I truly missed hearing the waves at night and taking the short walk to see the sunset over the ocean. It was quite an adjustment for me but didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this 5 square mile city. In 1993, when President Bill Clinton...
Dear Editor, Our school district receives most of its money from The State. Unfortunately, those funds are insufficient, in fact, after the severe cuts during the last economic downturn, it’s only this year that the state funding returned to 2008 levels. As Chairman of the CCUSD Citizens Budget Advisory Committee for the past two years, I know the budgeting process, and can confirm that the administration works hard to find ways to increase funding and minimize spending wherever possible, but w...
If Culver City is really a city for everyone, as promoted by the October 11th event at La Ballona School then why didn’t Culver City use city owned land at Washington Blvd and Centinela for affordable housing? Instead the city sold this property to a developer who is creating Culver Public Market. This makes no sense. According to the Fox Hills Alliance Fox Hills has over three thousand (3,000) units of housing and over five thousand eight hundred (5,800) residents. Fox Hills has more racial and...
Can I ask, “With all those millions the developers are spending on construction projects here in Culver City, why do we need to raise taxes?” You don’t need 20/20 vision to imagine City staff pushing gold-plated wheel barrels full of envelopes with big checks for sales-tax and property-tax revenue to the bank. For example, I’ve been spending a lot of hours in Ventura County these past few months, and I discovered that the Thousand Oaks sales tax is a mere 7.5 percent. If Culver City’s Measure C...
By Ron Bassillian With less than a month to the election, Prop. 10, the “California Local Rent Control Initiative,” is waking up as the sleeper issue of the state. Prop. 10 is a repeal of the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which protects home and property owners from overarching rent-control laws. The existing Costa-Hawkins law has three main protections: it exempts single family homes, duplexes and condominiums from rent control; it grants the right to raise rents on vacant units to market rates, and it exempts any building ere...
In the fall of 1979 I moved from New York State to Los Angeles. At a party, I asked where I might want to apply to work as a teacher. More than one guest suggested Culver City. I remember them saying that the community and the school district “were like a family”. Thirty nine years later I’m still here! I’m still teaching at CCHS; I’m still the president of our teachers’ union; I’m a homeowner; and I’m the proud parent of two kids who thrived in our schools But there’s a cold, hard fact about p...
On the few lawn signs I’ve seen around the community supporting the passage of the School Board’s Measure K, there is displayed a sentimental slogan: “It’s for Our Kids.” The slogan is meant to invoke a heart-felt sentimentality that the community should pass the measure, because, don’t we love our kids and grandkids and want them to be successful in school and later in life? Isn’t it worth investing 50-cents a day for them to be successful? But, do not be fooled by this heart-tugging sentiment. Because NOTHING could be fiscally farther from...
The Los Angeles County Office of Education has just released its annual report of its county-wide Certificated Salary Survey for 2017-'18. On page 45 it showed just how much our Culver City School board members have overshot its agreed-to median goal. Culver City is now ranked 14 out of 48 districts at $101,382—almost $2,400 or 2.4 percent beyond the median salary for maximum pay. District-wide, this would come to over $1.15 million. This overage would make our District pay almost $200,000 m...
I am writing in support of the parcel tax being voted on Nov. 6. Known as Measure K, it will add $189 to each property owner’s tax bill for each of the next seven years. Five years ago, our Culver City Unified School District agreed to ensure that teaching staff salaries would be at the median level in Los Angeles County to both recruit and retain the best teachers available. Subsequently, the legislators in Sacramento passed a bill requiring school districts to contribute more for all staff p...
When we think of what’s wonderful about Culver City, our schools are at the top of the list. Our community thrives because of our great schools. New homeowners pay top-dollar to move into our district and have their children attend our schools. Two generations of my family have gone through Culver schools and received excellent educations. I am proud of our school district and the magnificent teachers and academic programs that it provides. In order for continued advancement in core a...
It is with great pleasure that the Association of Classified Employees—Culver City supports Measure K, an initiative that will bring much needed funds into our District. The funds from Measure K will make it possible for CCUSD to continue to provide excellent programs and academic opportunities for our students and will also make it possible to attract and retain the best teachers and staff for our District. I am proud that two of my own children and my grandson benefited from the academic e...
My three sons had the benefit of being educated in Culver City at no cost to me and my husband, Ed. California’s Education Code does not allow charging for most K-12 expenses. We were not obligated to join any of the organizations we chose to support or mandated to fund any particular program, though we happily and regularly donated to PTA, CCEF, booster clubs, and our various athletic teams. We chose public schools rather than private, which may have saved us well over $390,000 for their c...
California’s Public Employee Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013 has ameliorated many of the causes of concern about public employee pension costs in local school districts; however, it is a long-term set of measures which reduces the modest but not insignificant unfunded liabilities over 30 years. According to Grant Boyken, Pension Benefits Officer for the California State Treasure’s Office, neither Cal STRS (63% funded) the teachers’ pension fund or CalPers (70% funded) the public emplo...
Can little Culver City continue to pay super-large paychecks and pensions to current and former City employees? If so, local taxes will need to continue to rise. No, I’m just not pointing the finger at our Police and Fire departments, but other City agencies as well. Our City Manager’s total of money and benefits is now over $400,000 annually, and some local government employee’s will never see the inside of a discount store because they’re collecting more than $175,000 in retiree pensions. On N...
How much is your safety and the safety of your family worth? According to Neil Rubenstein’s two columns earlier this month, if you live in Culver City, you’re paying too darn much. Citing gross pay plus value of benefits for 27 mostly firefighters and police officers, by name no less, he complains that the life-threatening risks they take on our behalf are not worth the cost. The salary figures Rubenstein cites are comparable to those for the corresponding job titles for fire and police pos...
In an ironic twist, a recent study by the nonprofit Bellwether Education Partners has found that the rising costs of teacher pension plans are starting to eat into their own salary hikes. Teachers, and their unions, often complain about low salaries. The research from Bellwether shows that, since 1994, teacher salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation. But total compensation for teachers has risen faster than inflation when non-salary benefits, such as insurance and retirement, are...
