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These letters seem to spell only delays(Record, The (Stockton, CA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 1--Here's an ode to local taxpayers. Many of you voted for a veritable alphabet soup's worth of measures during the past few years, with the promise that you would get better schools, better highways, more cops on the street, new higher-education facilities and so much more. In most cases, The Record published endorsements supporting the tax measures: Invest in your community and it'll get better. I still believe that's the case. However, the journey from approval to implementation is fraught with more delays and cancellations than Denver's airport during a snowstorm. Let's journey through the alphabet: --The letter L: San Joaquin Delta College officials were euphoric after Measure L, a $250 million bond, passed on March 2, 2004. There were 30 projects planned, including a new education center in Mountain House, improvements to the main Stockton campus and new facilities in Manteca and the Lodi area. Three years later, a trustee says many plans are in jeopardy because of skyrocketing costs, and e-mails written by Delta's president reveal he's being pressured to move forward with Mountain House to the detriment of other projects. --The letter K: Voters on Nov. 7 approved renewal of Measure K, the half-cent sales tax for transportation projects. The pitch: We'll get more state funds if we ante up matching funds. Then officials from Los Angeles and the Bay Area flexed their muscles and sopped up most of the money while San Joaquin County got peanuts. --The letter C: Voters approved the second bond measure this decade for the Stockton Unified School District in November 2005. The $120 million Measure C was supposed to be used to reconfigure campuses into kindergarten-through-eighth-grade sites, open new schools and renovate others. A year later, district officials said they're still planning to implement the district makeover -- but it'll take four years longer than promised. While it might be appropriate due to reduced enrollment, the four-year wait is a long time considering the main campaign promise was that the reconfiguration would improve academic performance. --The letter J: This was a truly mystifying case of "oops" -- 16 years later. Lincoln Unified School District voters overwhelmingly approved Measure J, a $40 million bond issue in 1990. In 2004, district officials again asked voters to ante up. Another bond was passed. Then district administrators "discovered" in 2006 that $21 million of the $40 million from 1990 went unused -- and apparently forgotten. --The letter W: In November 2004, Stockton voters passed the Safe Neighborhood Gang and Drug Prevention Police Fire Response Measure. More simply, it was Measure W, which would raise the city sales tax one-quarter percent, from 7.75 percent to 8 percent. Among other public-safety enhancements, it would allow Stockton to hire 40 additional police officers and 40 more firefighters. It was disheartening to hear Stockton Police Chief Wayne Hose say in February that it would be difficult to fill even current vacancies, let alone increase the force's size. Well, maybe all is not so dire. Delta College officials vow there will be answers to their multicampus woes. Transportation leaders say they've just begun to fight for highway dollars. Stockton Unified administrators assure residents their reconfiguration will happen, and Lincoln Unified officials are being more careful about how 2004 bond money is spent (and that it actually is spent). Stockton City Council members directed the police chief to hire the additional budgeted officers, and it appears the department (and its firefighting colleagues) are on their way to meeting Measure W requirements. But this causes contemplation. These and other tax measures are in play every time a homeowner pays an annual tax bill or whenever anyone buys a pizza, pair of jeans or movie ticket. If voters approve new taxes, officials must reward their faith in a prudent and expedient manner -- not leave them asking to buy a vowel. Mike Klocke can be reached at (209) 546-8250 or [email protected]. Visit his blog. Copyright (c) 2007, The Record, Stockton, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |