October 2002

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Guest Commentary 

Robert Hertzberg is an assemblyman from Van Nuys and former Assembly speaker.

As the lead author of Proposition 47, I am proud to see the taxpayer, business and education communities join forces to improve schools for our kids. The nexus is clear:  better schools equal better academic performance. Better performance prepares our kids to be vital contributors to California’s future. Considering that today many of our schools are overcrowded and need safety repairs, Prop. 47 responds by making room for kids and does it without raising taxes.

BETTER SCHOOLS, MORE CLASSROOMS

Prop. 47, the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2002, authorizes a $13 billion bond to benefit classrooms from elementary schools to state universities.

The funds will help fix leaky roofs, repair broken bathrooms, install heating and air conditioning, upgrade college laboratories and research facilities, and give students access to the technology they need to meet academic standards, improve test scores and compete in the modern workforce.

While upgrading older schools, often to improve safety, Prop. 47 also relieves overcrowding and enables schools to continue class size reduction. Unfortunately, California has the second most overcrowded classrooms in the country. Data from the Office of Public School Construction shows California needs 46,000 new classrooms in the next five years to respond to overcrowding. Prop. 47 ensures that every overcrowded school district is eligible for its fair share of funds to build new classrooms.

By planning for the future, we can provide an environment where students and teachers can succeed. For instance, parents and teachers know class size reduction works, but now a recent research study backs up that thought with hard statistics.  The Public Policy Institute of California found that in the state’s largest school districts, test scores for students in smaller classes increased by 14 percent in math and 9 percent in reading. Giving our students a place to learn is critical. Prop. 47 will give us the resources we need to ensure students can succeed.

NO NEW TAXES, STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY

Prop. 47 is not a new tax; it's a general obligation bond, the debt service to which amounts to only about 1 percent of the state's general fund.

Strict accountability measures ensure that Prop. 47 funds are spent properly and where they are needed most.  Funds cannot be spent on bureaucracy or wasteful overhead. Funds can only be used for school construction, safety repairs and safety improvements. And Prop. 47 projects are subject to audits, annual reviews and strict oversight.

BOOSTS ECONOMY

Prop. 47 helps our kids and immediately helps our economy. A new report completed by the Sacramento Regional Research Institute found Prop. 47 will create 250,000 new jobs throughout the state. Many of those jobs are in construction, but more than half are jobs created because of the ripple impact on support industries and the impact new investments have on the broader economy.

For more information, visit the campaign’s web site at www.YesProp47.com.

VOTE YES

Remember the adage, plan your work then work your plan? We have taken a big step together by planning how we can respond to the overcrowding and safety repair needs of California schools. Prop. 47 is the plan.  Now we must work to make it happen.  Not only must each and every one of us cast a vote for 47, we must encourage our colleagues, friends and family to say Yes to Prop. 47 on November 5. That’s our job. Join the diverse and growing coalition supporting Prop. 47, including the California Taxpayers’ Association, California Chamber of Commerce, California State PTA, Coalition for Adequate School Housing, California Teachers Association and the California Business Roundtable.