Antelope Valley Press
May 30, 2006Vote 'no'
June 6 on Propositions 81 and 82
TODAY'S EDITORIAL - It's unusual for California
to have only two statewide propositions on the
ballot, but that will be the case when voters go to
the polls on Tuesday, June 6.
The primary election includes:
Proposition 81, titled the California Reading and
Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction
and Renovation Bond Act of 2006, would allow the
state to sell $600 million in bonds for building,
renovating or expanding public libraries to serve
more Californians.
The Valley Press urges a "no" vote.
Here are some of the reasons why:
California has been staggering under an enormous
debt load, particularly since the Gray Davis
administration. Bonded indebtedness is excessively
costly to taxpayers because of the large amount of
interest that must be paid.
Usually, local governments pay for the cost of
operating and building local libraries. Lancaster
has a relatively new, expansive Los Angeles County
Library. Palmdale has both a regular city library
plus a children's library.
In 2000, voters approved $350 million in bonds for
library building projects. That money was used for
45 projects. Another 60 projects applied but have
not been funded.
Neither Lancaster nor Palmdale is likely to receive
any bond funding, so why should local taxpayers
finance other projects spread across this sprawling
state?
Just two decades ago, the state's 1986 debt was $4
billion. Today it is $50 billion. It's time for
California to halt runaway debt and begin paying
down what's owed.
Libraries, reading and literacy are important,
particularly because California has millions of
Spanish-speaking residents who have a pressing need
to learn English. But the computer age is providing
a vast, electronic, international, multilingual
global library that has far greater capacity for
stored knowledge than any bricks-and-mortar library
can have.
Fortunately, existing libraries and tens of
thousands of classrooms have computers available for
Californians.
Proposition 82 would offer all 4-year-old children
in California the right to one year of free
preschool starting in 2010.
The Valley Press urges a "no" vote.
About 62% of California children attend some kind of
group preschool or child care program before going
to kindergarten. About half are in public programs
such as Head Start or state-funded preschool or
child care.
Under Proposition 82, public preschool would be
funded by an additional 1.7% income tax on
individuals earning more than $400,000 and married
couples earning over $800,000.
Both of the June 6 state propositions should be
denied.
We urge you to go to the polls or vote absentee and
say "no" on Propositions 81 and 82.
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