I write this letter in my individual capacity and not as an AADUSD trustee and I express only my own views herein. I would like to address the last minute mailer sent by an entity calling itself Acton-Agua Dulce Academic Foundation. It is full of misleading and false information in the mailer.
MISLEADING AND/OR FALSE INFORMATION
1. WRONG: The Acton School remains closed. TRUTH: Acton School is used for high school college level COC classes, office use, the opportunity program, ASMO after school band program, soccer on the field, K-6 youth center, ROP programs and maybe other programs I am not aware of. By any definition this is NOT closed. While K-6 classes are not back there "yet", and they will be someday, Acton School is definitely not closed.
2. WRONG: The board decided to try to push a "huge" tax. TRUTH: The board kept the tax "NOT huge". I personally pushed for that because some of my friends who voted no last time told me a "NOT huge" tax could pass.
3. WRONG: The board continues to ignore K-8. TRUTH: First of all, we do not ignore them. We do the best we can with what we have. Second, if we can spend less money on VHS because of the improvements on it, there is more money to spend on the K-8 schools.
4. WRONG: There is no distinction between needs and wants in Measure CF. TRUTH: See the argument in the official sample ballot which I won't repeat in full here, but the first paragraph goes to the "wants". The second and subsequent paragraphs are descriptive of and devoted to "needs". Please review it to substantiate my representations here.
5. WRONG: (Measure CF) is just more CONSTRUCTION FRAUD. TRUTH: In the first instance, the conclusory statement assumes without facts or evidence that there was a prior CONSTRUCTION FRAUD. Further, the alleged future "CONSTRUCTION FRAUD" is also stated without any justification for such an allegation and in fact, does not exist.
Fraud implies intentional, material, misrepresentation of facts to induce reliance and Measure CF does not do that.
6. WRONG: Passing Measure CF will get a nice new large gym for the high school and some new classrooms. TRUTH: Please note that I consider a "half truth" the same as a lie. Sure there may be a gym and sure there will be classrooms BUT THE TRUTH IS the project list includes science labs, library, cafeteria/multi-purpose room, office, restrooms and more, all in addition to the items set forth in the misleading mailer.
7. WRONG: K-8 facilities will be guaranteed to degrade even more. TRUTH: As stated above with less money spent to upkeep the high school there will be MORE money to spend on K-8 facilities.
8. WRONG: The board will have to float another bond in the near future. TRUTH: Should there be growth with many more students coming to our district, additional sources may need to be considered, but Measure CF takes care of our present needs and to say present needs necessitates another bond in the "near future" is not accurate.
QUESTION ON THE MAILER: IF MEASURE CF THAT PROVIDES A PERMANENT HIGH SCHOOL ON A SENSIBLE BUDGET, DOES THAT MEAN MEASURE V WAS INSENSIBLE?
HONEST ANSWER: No it does not mean that, because Measure V had a different purpose. It included a plan for future growth as opposed to only present needs.
9. WRONG: Your vote for Measure CF encourages this board to continue bad business practices and fiscal irresponsibility.
TRUTH: This statement is about as far from the truth as it is possible to stray.
Each of us on the Board do not receive one cent of pay. We do not profit from any monetary gains of any sort. We are doing and trying to do what we believe is best for our kids, our grandkids and the kids of other members of the community. We do the very best with what we have.
IS THERE ANY TRUTH IN THE FLYER?
Sadly, there is. The stock market is in decline, financial institutions are failing and home values are plummeting.
The issue then becomes can we afford $25.00 per $100,000.00 of assessed value as an added tax. As I said to some of you before and in previous writings, I guess the election will tell that story.
When you are down and broke or down and hurting, there still are some things you need to have: toothpaste, toilet paper, a gallon or two of gas, something to eat even if it is not steak, some kind of diversion from the hard times and maybe a little something for the kids. Maybe that "something" can be help with their homework, a little love and maybe even a school with a roof, shelter from the wind, sun and cold, rainy days.
Can we all afford the $25.00? Maybe not. Can some of us afford it? Maybe. Personally, a "first" for me was cashing in the recycleables to buy that gallon or two of gas. But as tough as times are, I voted yes on Measure CF (absentee). SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, I WILL DIG UP $125.00 TO PAY FOR WHAT IT WILL ADD TO MY TAX BILL.
I hope that you too will do the same. Your kids need it. My grandkids need it. If you do not have kids or grandkids in our schools, you must know others in our community that do have the kids and grandkids.
In conclusion, please vote yes on this Measure CF. Thanks for listening (or reading).
I AM LARRY H. LAYTON AND THAT IS MY OPINION.
Catch ya' at the polls. Larry
1.0 The Acton School remains closed. It is closed as a K-6 school. The fact is that Agua Dulce and Meadowlark are overcrowded. The use of the Acton School for these listed programs are primarily after school programs and could be used even if the school was open for the kids. The correct answer is that it is closed.
2.0 The board decided to try to push a "huge" tax. Yes, it is not a huge tax, $75 for a $300,000 house assessment is a minor tax.
3.0 The board continues to ignore K-8. Not one cent of the bond goes to the K-8 schools. In fact, the maintenance money that is available to maintain the K-8 schools is being spent on the energy improvement loan and the savings from the energy improvement loan is going into the general fund, which will be used to grant raises to the teachers. How much more clearly do we need to show that the K-8 kids are being ignored?
4.0 There is no distinction between needs and wants in Measure CF. Not meaningful, as all it takes is a vote of three Brighter board members to spend every cent of the bond on their gym, which they have promised their athletic supporters and spend nothing on the classrooms, etc.
5.0 Measure CF is just more CONSTRUCTION FRAUD. Fraud seems to me a bit harsh, unless you look at the refinance at a higher interest rate of the non-voter approved bonds and conversion of the K-8 repair funds into general funds for salaries as fraud rather than just stupid.
6.0 Passing Measure CF will get a nice new large gym. The project list may say all sorts good things, but this truly fails to recognize it takes only three votes of the Brighter Group to direct 100% of revenue from CF to the Gym. One of the proposed restrictions, before CF was approved, was to limit the amount of money to be spent on the gym. You, along with three Brighter Group, failed to support that idea. Therefore, it is now whatever the three Brighter Group wants, is what they will do with our money . We can't trust them .
7.0 K-8 facilities will be guaranteed to degrade even more. More buildings cost more money to maintain, therefore, how will more buildings built under CF reduce the cost to maintain the high school? It will in fact, increase maintenance cost and reduce any K-8 repair funds.
8.0 The board will have to float another bond in the near future. This will be just like the AV Valley College bond. They spent all the money on facilities in Lancaster. They failed to spend money on the Palmdale campus, even though it was listed in the bond, as a project. They said they simply ran out of money and their answer was exactly, do another bond, just like these jerks will do with CF.
9.0 Your vote for Measure CF encourages this board to continue bad business practices and fiscal irresponsibility. The board has run four prior failed bond issues at a $250,000 expense; refinanced from a lower interest rate to a higher interest rate, the non voter approved bond (cost of about $300,000); paying all of the $2,000,000 of repair funds into the energy improvement loan. Then by placing the energy savings in the general fund and the reduced yearly payments of the non voter approved bond over 13 more years as a savings to the general fund, to create a raise for the teachers' salaries.
If this is not proof of bad business practices, you tell me what it is.