It could “fundamentally transform California”

From the Cal Watchdog

Oct. 16, 2012

By Dave Roberts

“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

– Thomas Jefferson

Propositions come and propositions go, with many amounting to little more than bumps on California’s road to oblivion. But Proposition 32 has the potential to fundamentally transform California, ending the union stranglehold on state government that has led to perennial multi-billion-dollar deficits and the worst business climate in the country.

To read the complete commentary, click here.

Dear Editor,

As residents of Brentwood, we support the proposal of a 110-acre community college campus at Laurel Road between Antioch and Oakley. The college district’s current proposal of a small, 17-acre campus at the southernmost end of Brentwood in a gated-resort/retirement community, i.e. Trilogy, does not permit for future expansion and is poorly located.

We strongly favor a 110-acre/Laurel campus because it is much better suited for students and residents of Brentwood as well as for students of East Contra Costa County (www.citizensforbrentwood.com).

We also strongly support electing Professor Greg Enholm as the College Board’s Ward 5 Trustee on November 6th because he has pledged to work to make a 110-acre/Laurel campus a reality (Go to Facebook page “Far East County Deserves a 110-acre Community College”).

A 110-acre/Laurel college campus will also address another important issue: eBART. Ultimately, we want full BART not eBART for Far East County. We propose that there be an eBART station at the 110-acre/Laurel campus with a parking garage that can be utilized for students as well as eBART patrons so that students/patrons and their vehicles can be protected by College District police. BART police will not be present at eBART stations. Eventually, we will petition BART (and our local elected officials) to upgrade eBART to full BART prior to extending service through Brentwood.

We also favor small, conveniently-located Park & Ride parking lots throughout Brentwood with a quality shuttle bus to take people to the Laurel Road eBART and/or Pittsburg BART stations.

Yildiz Karaibrahimoglu, Brentwood

Mark Begin and Cong Begin,Brentwood

David Redding and Gloria Redding,Brentwood

Charlene Straub, Brentwood

By Corporal Rick Smith, Antioch Community Policing Bureau

On Monday, October 15, 2012 at 11:30 a.m., Antioch Officers responded to the area of Auto Center Drive and Mahogany Way, for the report of a shooting that just occurred. Upon arrival officers located the victim of a gunshot wound. It was learned that two subjects got into an argument over a “Road Rage” incident that began on Delta Fair Blvd and Somersville Road.

The passenger of one of the vehicles exited his car and challenged the other driver to a fight. When the other driver exited his vehicle, the passenger opened fire with a small caliber handgun. The responsible vehicle fled the scene and was not located. The victim suffered two minor non-life threatening wounds and was treated at the scene.

This preliminary information is made available by the Field Services Bureau. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Antioch Police Department at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

Sponsorships available

For the past ten years, the Kiwanis Club of Pittsburg and Delta-Antioch have joined together to present the “Big Little Game” Football recognition Luncheon for the age old rivalry between the Pittsburg High and Antioch High Football teams.

This worthy endeavor brings together business and community member, football players, along with school administrators and coaches of both high schools, for sportsmanship and scholarship recognition. All the Senior players are invited as our guests to participate in the luncheon and the program. During the luncheon, a senior football player from each school, picked by his coach and fellow players, receives a scholarship.

Please put this year’s touching, yet humorous event on your calendar, Wednesday, October 31, 2012, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at the Pittsburg Elk’s Lodge, Pittsburg. This event has proven to be a wonderful success and we hope you can join us!

On behalf of the Kiwanis Clubs of Pittsburg and Delta-Antioch, I would like to ask for your support for the 11^th Annual Pittsburg – Antioch “Big Little Game” luncheon. Tickets for the luncheon are $20. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, beginning at $100 Supporter Level (includes two luncheon tickets), $250 Fan Level (includes four luncheon tickets), $500 Coach Level (includes eight luncheon tickets). A souvenir program will be printed for the luncheon, identifying all the sponsors.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions about sponsoring the event. The deadline for sponsorships/tickets reservations is Friday, October 26, 2012. For more information, reserve your spot at the luncheon or in the program, please call Tim Stone (925) 432-3145 or Email tim@readyprint.com or Jim Craft, (510) 541-8074 or Email jcraft@stsacademy.org. Thank you in advance for your support and consideration.

Price

Fairfield Mayor Harry Price a great leader in the 11^th Assembly District came out with a solid endorsement of Mike Hudson, today.

“The choice is clear – elect a veteran leader,” said Price.

Price has lived in Fairfield since 1965 and was Solano County Teacher of the Year in 1986. He was elected Vice-Mayor in 1999, ran unopposed for Mayor in 2005, and was re-elected Mayor in 2009. Price was elected president of the North Bay Division of the League of California Cities in 2002

“It has been an honor working with Mayor Price on the Fairfield Suisun Sewer District and the Solano Transportation Authority on regional issues that impact our cities,” Hudson said. “I value his wisdom, vision, and leadership.”

Zinn

Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff are continuing to investigate a double homicide that occurred yesterday in a county area on Buchanan Road near Ventura Drive in Pittsburg.

The male victim has been identified as 24-year-old Christopher Zinn of San Francisco.

The female victim has been identified as 21-year-old Brieanna Dow of San Francisco. The cause of death for each of the victims is gunshot wounds.

On Sunday, October 14, 2012 at about 5:25 PM, Sheriff’s dispatch received a report of shots-fired at the above location.

Dow

Pittsburg and Antioch police responded and found Zinn and Dow on the roadway. Zinn was pronounced deceased at the scene. Dow was taken to Sutter Delta hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Detectives and the Crime Lab responded to the location.

No suspects or motive have been identified in this shooting. The Office of the Sheriff is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying any suspects in this case. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to call (925) 313-2651. Anonymous tips can be left at 1 (866) 846-3592.

By Barbara Zivica

Worried about paying bills, losing your job, holding onto your home? Politicians don’t worry about budget deficits they‘re responsible for. They’ve got a simple solution….. raising OUR taxes to pay for THEIR fiscal mismanagement!

Here’s my analysis on some of the ballot measures that will appear on the November ballot. If all pass, consider the TOTAL hit to your budget and the warning notice below.

MEASURE A – the Contra Costa Community District Parcel tax ($11 for six years, 2/3 voter approval required) to provide Diablo Valley College, Contra Costa College, Los Medanos College, and the Brentwood and San Ramon Centers with “funds that cannot be taken by the state, maintain high quality education, support course offerings and instruction programs, including healthcare, technology and public safety, increase access to support services and prepare students for university transfer.” This ballot measure includes everything but the kitchen sink! NOTE: In September, Los Medanos College put out a legal notice inviting pre-qualified contractors to bid on a $10 to $15 million student services remodel, project subject to a Project Stability Agreement (PSA) between the college district and the CCC Building and Construction Trades Council. Such agreements are discriminatory because they exclude non union workers and can raise the cost of a project by 12 to 18%.

MEASURE Q – the Contra Costa County Fire Department’s proposed seven year $75 parcel tax (2/3 voter approval required) . The parcel tax, which has been said to equate to a $1.44 daily cup of McDonald’s coffee, would merely, according to the county civil grand jury, be a short term fix. Without the tax the District projects a budget deficit of $13 million next year and with the tax a $2 million deficit in budget year 2015/16. NOTE: The Grand Jury recommended the county’s fire districts consolidate, lowering operational costs, abandon outdated delivery models and address rising labor costs and pension liabilities.

Measure B – Antioch School Facilities Improvement District #1 – a $56.5M bond measure (55% voter approval required) . This is the third go around at the ballot box for the AUSD. Voters passed Measure C, the $61,600,000 June 2008 school facilities improvement bond measure, but Measure G, the June 2012 $59.5 million bond measure, bulk of the funds going to Antioch High’s modernization, failed by a narrow margin at the ballot box. Measure B is a repeat of Measure J but with all the funds going to modernize Antioch High. (The latest release of API scores shows Antioch High coming in with a score of 681, Deer Valley High 737; the state’s goal is an API value of 800. Renovation Antioch High is unlikely to improve test scores.)

Problem is taxpayers in the School Improvement Facilities Improvement District already pay about $50 for every $100,000 of assessed value due to Measure C, although the district used only approximately $40 million of the $61 million before closing the bond down. If Measure B passes, tax bills to retire school bonds will basically double, going from about $56 per $100,00 to about $106 in 2014 and reach $125 by 2023, For a home assessed at a current average $141,500, that $177 a year!

Incidentally, the district is currently setting aside 3% toward maintenance but are putting the state funding for deferred maintenance (generally for replacement) into their Capital Facilities improvement account for deferred maintenance needs. The district is currently not funding their Irrevocable Trust for Post Retirement Benefits, but are not drawing against it and allowing the fund to grow for future Post-Retirement requirements.

The district has a $31 million ending fund balance but states that if Prop. 30 and 38 are defeated, will be at $7 million plus yearly deficit and can only receive a positive certification based on 3 years projection with 3% reserves.

PROPOSITION 30: Governor Jerry Brown’s sales and income tax initiative, a constitutional amendment, entitled “Temporary taxes to fund education, guaranteed local public safety funding: The measure would up the California sales tax from 7.25 to 7.5% for 4 years, hurting those with lower incomes (the bottom fifth of earners who spend 82% of their income on taxable purchases) and raise income taxes for 7 years on the more affluent who currently pay about 40% of the state’s personal income taxes, making our top income tax rate the highest in the nation. (One of it’s provisions would end state reimbursement to local governments for costs resulting from certain provisions of the Brown Act, such as the requirement to prepare and post agendas for public meetings.

NOTE California’s school accountability system has been based on the Academic Performance Index (API) which measures the performance of schools and the achievement of students. The API is based on student scores on state tests. This bill will change the way API is calculated, as of 2016 test results will constitute no more than 60% of the API for secondary schools, for elementary and middle schools, at least 60% of the API will be based on test scores. Options to take the receding place of student test scores are troubling e.g. locally convened panels to visit schools, observe teachers, interview pupils and examine pupil work. Prop. 30 doesn’t provide measurement yardsticks for these highly subjective school review panels and evaluations could have little relationship to student proficiency in core subjects.
Proposition 38 is a 12 year tax initiative to fund education and early childhood programs. It would increase personal income tax rates on annual earnings over $7,316, using a sliding scale from .04% for lower individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, for twelve years.

WARNING NOTICE: Beginning with the 2012 tax year (the tax that is due April 15 of 2013) not all items on your property tax bill will be deductible. The state is going to require a breakdown between deductible and nondeductible items from your property tax bills. State law follows Federal in that you are only allowed to deduct the portion of real estate taxes that is based on the assessed value of your property with some limited exceptions. Big dollar exemptions could be eliminated e.g. Mello Roos fees. It also means that parcel taxes, sewer changes, and items like the Mosquito and Vector amounts will not be deductible.

A sample property tax bill showing deductible vs. nondeductible items can be found at www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/Real_Estate_Tax

Three critical yardsticks define a thriving city; public safety, economic vitality, and good schools. After the October 11th release of the current California educational gold standard, the Academic Performance Index (API), Antioch has secured another stake in its’ claim of nailing down the school factor.

Not to get too heady, as there is bountiful growth opportunity, but the notable news is that Antioch gained an impressive twelve points district-wide. This was the seventh in the last eight years that we have progressed, Last year was the sole exception with a one point decrease, but in 2010 we jumped fifteen points. Even if we are not fully satisfied of where we stand, we can be optimistic of where we are heading.  It’s worth noting that eight years ago we stood at 703. We are now at 742 and moving.

Obviously, nobody will take a breather until we’re at the vaunted 800 mark and from there we will shoot yet higher. Remember, though, we’re not an elementary, nor a small rural or suburban district. We’re a K-12 District with 18,600 students, in the top 10% of the state size-wise. Unarguably,then, we’re an urban center, with all the attendant complexities of transiency, high numbers of English language learners, special ed students, minority populations, free and reduced lunch, and foster and group home children. Added to the challenges, we have lost 100 million in state funding over the last five years.

Where then does the credit go for our steady growth despite hurdles?  Intelligent use of data, targeted interventions, pull-out programs, after-school tutoring, peer training and  collaboration all play a role. It all starts, though, with dedicated teaching. In fact, studies show that three consecutive years of a good teacher virtually insures permanent academic success. The same holds true in reverse. Kudos, then, to our teachers serving in the trenches, overworked and under-appreciated.

Particular kudos go to Live Oak High for leading the pack at an incredible 105 point increase; to Mission Elementary with an astounding 52 point increase, to Fremont at 47 points and Marsh closely following at 44. Proudly, five schools topped 800; Diablo Vista, Lone Tree, John Muir, Orchard Park Elementary schools and Dozier Libbey High School. Three knocked on the door of 800, just points away; Carmen Dragon, Grant and Sutter Elementary. Significant increases were also recorded by Kimball Elementary, Black Diamond Middle, Dallas Ranch Middle and Park Middle, as well as by Antioch High and Deer Valley High.

Of particular note in our battle to narrow disparity and the achievement gap, the African American group posted a 24 point increase district-wide and boasted an eye-popping 48 point increase at Antioch High.

We’d be remiss if we did not award resounding cheers for the Filipino sub-group which scored a breath-taking 848 and the Asian sub-group a collective 843. They are a model to us all of what high family expectations can mean.

I have seen first-hand how education influences a community. I grew up In Great Neck, Long Island, where in the 1960’s we had one of the top ten school districts in the country. People would literally leave notes at my family door asking that if we ever decided to sell to please call them.  It was essentially a waiting list to get into our town. Antioch’s positive news, then, spells good omens for real estate prices.

Our schools, hoisting increasing test scores and a state-blazing linked pathways career academy program, can do wonders for Antioch. We can make this a town people are knocking the door down to get into and not get out of. Congratulations students, parents and teachers for setting one of the blocks needed to establish the kind of town we all envision. It’s all about placing one brick at a time.

Walter Ruehlig

A.U.S.D. Board of Trustees