I generally subscribe to Barbara Zivica’s tight-fisted prudence. I, too, pride myself on fiscal integrity. For the record, I, like Barbara, disagreed with extending the Mello-Roos tax, the Antioch sales tax, and the recent water tax in its’ convoluted packaging.

On her recent column, though, regarding Measure J  (renovation of the going on sixty-year Antioch High School, the only school in Contra Costa of that era that has not been restored), Barbara simply barked up the wrong tree as a watchdog.

Even though AHS is sandwiched by stunning Heritage High, college-campus looking Deer Valley, and Pittsburg High, which had a gorgeous makeover keeping its’ old bone structure, I can respectfully differ with Barbara’s opinion that it’s O.K. for our downtown school to stand out like a sore thumb.

Opinion and facts are two things, though. I am not here to argue the ballot merits as the voters will determine whether our kids deserve second rate perimeter security; cracking walls and sidewalks; dark classrooms, outmoded heating, air and technology; an unusable pool and track; and a cafeteria that can’t fit them all in rainy weather. It is the citizens who will decide what an equitable facility would or would not do for downtown morale and property value.

Being, though, that I apparently surprise Barbara in  living one block over in the non-Mello-Roos area, and would, in fact, pay the tax should it pass, I am compelled, as a private citizen, to fact check.

As a soon-to-be sixty-six year old who will start collecting social security June 13th, I, too, would love, both personally and philosophically, to see seniors exempted for the $4.52 per $100,000 assessed value.  Even though it amounts to a tenth or twentieth of what Mello-Roos owners pay, seniors have truly done so much for our community and deserve a break.

Unfortunately, under the law of construction bonds, there is so no such possible exemption. It is simply legally verboten. There seems, then, to be some confusion about the provisions of bonds and parcel taxes, where exemptions can and can not be allowed.

As to the argument that Antioch has properties up the kazoo, I don’t get it. Firstly, precisely because we have received hardship monies to build, the sobering reality is that any properties we sold would be monies given back the state. Secondly, paint this a favorable climate for construction, a dreadful time to sell. Thirdly, even if we were hypothetically able to sell off everything we had, hold nothing for future growth, and be allowed to keep the money, it would be at best a few million rendered, hardly a dime on the dollar of what 21st century modernization will cost.

Fact is, A.U.S.D. has been cut $74 million in state funding over the last four years. Due to the bloodletting, like other districts, we have been given a state exemption on putting away 3% for deferred maintenance and we have stopped putting into long term retirement liability fund.  Plain and simple, there is no golden goose to raid for this remodernization.

Is it true, as has been stated, that we are counting on matching money back from the State? Hoping, of course, but not counting, on it. It would be gravy and no, we never bet the ranch on hypotheticals.

As to the argument that we stopped the last Bond dead in its tracks, leaving some twenty one million dollars unbonded, agreed. Gosh, it feels odd, though, to be criticized for not not taking everything we could have grabbed. Shouldn’t public entities be applauded for  disciplined frugality and turning back money?  We were, in deed, the good stewards we promised to be.

Fact is, we completed most all our list, getting very favorable results from the competitive construction climate.  On top of that we received some $16 million back in saved interest  from the Quality Construction Act. Most of our bonding came in at an incredibly low 2% interest rate. Credit the penny-pinching Scottishness of Tim Forrester, Executive Director of Operations for putting this together.

The loan formulas changed on us and for the small scope of unfinished projects left we would have had to pay $80 to $90 million interest on $20 million bonding. We wisely decided not to.

Unlike my friend Barbara, I was not surprised that the City Council unanimously supported the bond. They, like I, expect that with a mandated build out checklist, a citizens’ oversight committee,  a vigilant administrative team and a fiscally sound Board that has put away $27 million in ending fund balance despite massive state cuts,  we would see the same positive results as Measure C should Measure J Pass. Its all up to the voters.

Walter Ruehlig, Trustee, A.U.S.D.

I won’t be supporting Measure J, the Antioch Unified School District’s $59,500,00 bond measure on the June 5th ballot.

Why? Several reasons. For starters, I’ve been told that the district only used approximately $40 million of the $61,600,000 former bond measure which was structured to affect the older NON Mello Roos districts as will the new bond. (Two school board members, Walter Ruehlig and Diane Gibson Gray are Mello Roos taxpayers.) Incidentally, the new bond measure will not include a senior citizen exemption nor did the former bond measure which was one of five at the time. The other four school districts bonds did contain senior citizen exemptions..

Additionally, according to County Counsel’s impartial analysis,, the school district assumes it will receive matching state funds to construct the improvements specified in the bond Measure (NO guarantee) and the District estimates that the highest tax rate required to fund the bonds is $52 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2012-2013. (If your accessed property value goes up each year you’ll be paying more annually for the life of the bond.)

Secondly, the school district has a huge portfolio of surplus properties which could be used for “one time” costs e.g. renovation of Antioch High School.

I’m disappointed but not surprised that the Antioch City Council just endorsed Measure J but it isn’t surprising since Gary Agopian, Wade Harper and Councilwoman Mary Rocha were former AUSD board members. ( Mary Rocha’s son is the principal of Antioch High) It’s also no surprise that Antioch resident Greg Feere, Contra Costa Building and Trades Council chief, publicly announced his support of Measure J to the press while not revealing his union affiliation.

Dear Editor:

Last week I observed on TV a march, in Oakland, of the Grocery Clerks union. At the end of the news spot a business agent, a.k.a. economic illiterate, announced to his followers that the only thing that keep the major chains from looking like Walmart was a strong local union. It was then as an old, old, old member of the Grocery Clerks union that I realized that the only thing Walmart has going for it IS a strong local grocery clerks union.

When the investors of Raileys, Safeway, Save Mart, etc., realize they can make more money running a cat house we will all be going to Walmart.

Bob Oliver

Antich

Feeling taxed enough? It’s just the beginning of the latter part of a year in which voters will be asked to approve a growing number of tax measures. Regrettably, there are a number of tax increases in the works in which we won’t get to have a say e.g. increases by PG&E to recoup costs from the San Bruno disaster which they want to pass on to ratepayers rather than stockholders, water and sewer rate fees increases by the City of Antioch and a increase in residential sewer charges by Delta Diablo Sanitation District.

City of Antioch water and sewer rate fee increases for fiscal years 2010 through 2015 were previously approved by Council in 2010 at which time Council requested a rate review be conducted after two years, The findings are as follows:

Due to decreased consumption levels for all customer classes, offset by decreased purchased water costs compared to projections, the city was able to delay the need to issue a planned $10 million bond for capital improvement projects. However, if the city implements the remainder of the proposed rate increases from the 2010 Study there will be sufficient funds to cash finance the 5 year capital improvement program, meet the 60 day minimum working capital balance and start to fund a modest level of Repair and Replacement reserve for future capital needs.

For the Sewer fund, delayed execution of some capital projects over the past 2 years has resulted in a temporary fund balance greater than anticipated but, without an increase in rates, the city will be unable to complete a sewer capital improvement program or address future capital needs.

Both rate increases sound like a done deal!

As for Delta Diablo, in 2010 they approved a 4.8% rate increase and last year they approved a 7.5% increase in fees – 4.8% for costs of treatment, capital improvements etc. and 2.7% to begin funding a dedicated reserve fund to pay for advanced wastewater treatment facilities to meet new regulatory requirements. Now they want more.

I’m tapped out. How about you?

Dear Editor:

At first glance, Measure L on your June ballot in Antioch, seems like a reasonable idea: save the city budget money by making the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions appointed, instead of elected.

The first reason I’ve been opposed to this is simple finances. While it will save about $32,000 per year for the two positions and $12,000 every four years in reduced election costs, the cost to the city for holding the election for this ballot measure is $105,000, which is about three years of savings.

An argument for it is the Treasurer’s job is mostly done by city staff, already.

But the City Treasurer is the people’s independent watchdog over the city’s finances, separate from the city council and staff. If the position is just another hired city staff member, it loses its independence to be another check on how our tax dollars are being spent.

The City Clerk must definitely remain elected because the person in that position oversees our city elections, in addition to the County Clerk. The person in that position should not be beholden to the City Manager, who answers to the five elected council members.

So, I’m recommending a No vote on Measure L.

Measure M, if approved, will change how we choose the Mayor of Antioch from an elected position for four years to one that is rotated among the council members, each year.

While it may be nice to have an elected Mayor, in a General Law City, as Antioch is, the reality is the position is mostly ceremonial.

Besides running the council meetings, the only real power the elected Mayor has is to make nominations of council members to committees on which the they serve and represent the city, as well as to nominate citizens to the various boards and commissions – all with council approval.

The upside of making the change is that we won’t be stuck with someone as Mayor for four years, if he or she turns out to not be so good and we’re not happy with the direction they’re attempting to lead the city.

Plus it gives each council member the opportunity to lead the city for a year – just as it is done in 14 of the other 18 cities in the county.

If it passes, it will go into effect this November. The result will be three council seats up for election, instead of two council seats and the Mayor’s seat. So, I’m voting Yes on Measure M. Both of 

Dear Editor:

As I was reading the opinion column by Lou Davis (The Way I See It, May, 2012), I had to check the date on the paper to see if this was some kind of April Fools’ joke.  Perhaps before writing such an “opinion”, Mr Davis would like to read and maybe, reread his column before it goes to press.  Yes, Mr Davis, I will agree with you that there are racial divides in this country that I have never seen since the days of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s.  But since when are women in this country considered a different race than men?  You make no mention of any fact about race in this country and instead begin a diatribe against womens’ rights.  On this, the 40th anniversary of Title IX, women must still fight for even the most basic of rights in the workplace.  The last time I checked the figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, women were still only making a portion of what men were making for doing the same job.  Where is the equality?

In the same paragraph, you mention the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.  To be honest, I don’t agree with the way that they go about things.  Where is the message that we can stand behind to fight this and to find a solution?  And, I don’t agree with the violence that seems to be a part of every rally.  However, they are trying to send a message and to be honest, if I were in there shoes, I would be afraid to be a spokesman for any cause, let alone fighting big business, in this country.  If you are of a certain age, you remember the last ones to stand for a cause that was out of the mainstream and what happened to them.  Martin.  Bobby.  Jack.

Your fixation on demeaning women is deplorable. You make them out to be second class citizens.  Women must fight daily to preserve their rights that are being taken away by a government of old, Caucasian men.  I don’t care what political party they are affiliated with.  Since when does anyone have the right to tell another how to live their life.   As a man of color Mr. Davis, you should understand it better than most of us could ever.

 When it comes to health care, I will always stand up for the working man.  The tone of your article sounds much like the newspapers of the early part of the 20th century.  Perhaps you don’t remember child labor.  Working 6 or 7 day weeks.  No benefits.  That is what the working men and women of this country stood for against repressive business owners and won the freedoms that we take for granted today.  You worry about religious institutions being mandated to cover contraception costs.  OK Mr. Davis, who will pay for the unwanted children? The possible risk to women who can’t afford health care when they are pregnant.  And again, what right does any man have in saying what I may do with my body.  When are the people of this country, who are losing their jobs to overseas competitors, going to stand up and say “Enough is Enough’?

Your rhetoric reminds me of a history class that I took many years ago.  The stand against women or any minority.  The belief in a Supreme Being that will lead us through and will fight our battles as long as we let our leaders tell us what to think.  Allowing any business or government to run over the working men and women and tell them they should be happy with what they are given.  You Mr. Davis, of all people, should be at the front of the line to not think as you are, but to see what is really happening.  You see, the place that I am talking about is not the United States of the 21st century.  It was Germany of the 1930’s.

Keith C. Walters, Antioch

Never before in my lifetime, nor have I ever seen it written about in history books of our country that our nation has faced such a unity crises as it does today.  This is in spite of President Obama’s vow to bring us all together as proud “Americans,” without tags of division like, “conservatives”, “liberals”, or race and gender types.

Here are a few examples of on-going people separations:

Racial divides are created by those who see everyone who is not like they are, as someone to be scorned.  Then surely, you’ve heard of the so-called “War on Women”, a condition coined by liberals – without a real cause for doing so.  This war was clearly just one more aspect of the Democratic re-election machine, along with “Occupy Wall Street”, and other movements, like attacks on the rich, who’d rather not be forced to divide their earning with many who seeemingly refuse to work.

The latest version of re-election gimmicks include something called the “mommy wars” which has already backfired.  This female gender trick was preceded by the contraception clashes, which left-wing media called the Republicans war against women.

Then, its quite easy to see the on-going war on religion.  For this condition, I simply cannot find an adequate description these people who stoop to the depths of placing themselves in that lowly category — really!  Thanks goodness for a good and caring God, there is such thing as forgiveness.

Meanwhile, the President has cooled his approach to demanding that religious institutions accept the mandate to purchase health insurance, and to cover contraception costs.

This is likely to pick up steam again, based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in June on the constitutionality of “Obamacare”.  This flared up when the President openly created another warfront, publicly daring the High Court to rule against his signature legislation.

So, for the time being being, the nation will have to wait until the dust settles in 2013 to get a better idea of what our future might have in store for us.