Steve Smith -- WHAT’S UP?

Perhaps what the Newport-Mesa Unified Board of Education needs is a

gadfly -- someone to tell them what the curmudgeon crowd is thinking. Sid

Soffer did that with the Costa Mesa City Council, but I doubt he’d be

willing to cross the state line to talk to our local board.

So, in lieu of Sid, I am compelled to play the part. I’ll even give you

the bottom line right here at the top: At this time, I cannot support the

board’s request for $163 million, $110 of which will come in the form of

a tax on local property owners (the remaining $53 million will come from

Sacramento as matching funds.)

My objections are few, but they rest on weighty issues: Before I can

vote in favor of this tax, I want to hear some acceptance of the

responsibility for allowing our schools to fall into such disrepair. I

want to hear it without the finger-pointing that will place the blame on

the bankruptcy, the embezzlement, the economy or the now 20-year-old

Proposition 13.

This is no small point. Accepting responsibility for our choices and

expressing some measure of remorse is nothing less than what we ask of

our children when they lie, get into a fight or come home with a bad

grade.

Don’t expect to hear one word of remorse or a syllable of accountability.

In fact, taxpayers can expect just the opposite.

In last Wednesday’s Daily Pilot, reporter Danette Goulet quoted board

member Dana Black on her reaction to the 7-0 vote to authorize the bond.

Was Black at all sorry that the board had to ask taxpayers for a loan?

No. Did she acknowledge the board’s responsibility for having held off

the bond for so long while our kids went to schools with leaky roofs and

unusable bathrooms? No.

Instead, Black proudly proclaimed last Tuesday’s vote as a cause for

celebration. “I’m just thrilled for our kids, our teachers and our

community,” she said.

Thrilled? Thrilled about what? Thrilled about having to tax constituents?

Thrilled about exposing the board’s lack of financial acumen? Instead of

insight or reflection, taxpayers got a spin move that makes Shaquille

O’Neal look like a high school hacker.

Listening to Black, we are supposed to believe that this is a “win-win”

for everyone. It is not.

Accounting for the state of the schools is not too much to ask. I’m not

asking for resignations and I don’t necessarily want to hear anyone say

“I’m sorry,” although that would be nice. I simply want this board held

accountable.

The larger of the two points will not be as easy to accommodate. This

school board neither deserves to, nor is capable of administrating $163

million in public money.

In order for this tax to work as planned, it is in the best interests of

both the board and the taxpayers to establish a body not to oversee the

spending but to make the spending decisions and disburse the payments.

Why? Because the fiscal management track record of this board is not one

that entitles them to handle such a large sum of money.

The tax will produce a sum that is best left in the hands of people with

business and financial savvy, who have dealt with construction matters of

this size and who will spend this money as though it were their own. I do

not trust this board with this much money.

My position is not popular. It is contrary to that of this newspaper and

will cause some to believe that I care more about chastising this board

than I do about improving our schools.

But I refuse to lay down in front of the moving truck that is this bond

because the board wants everyone to believe they are so concerned about

our kids. Real concern would have had a bond floated years ago when

repairs cost a fraction of what they are now.

I am not a Libertarian (with or without the capital “L”). I pay taxes and

expect certain services in return. I don’t have a problem with that.

I do have a problem with politicians who neglect their duties, allow

public facilities to fall into a state of extreme disrepair, place the

blame elsewhere, then ask taxpayers for a loan to bail them out without

one word of accountability or remorse, while gushing about how thrilling

it all is.

Yes, I have a problem with that.

I have a vested interest in the maintenance of our schools. Cay and I

have two kids attending Newport-Mesa schools and there is nothing more

I’d like to see than improved facilities. And I don’t believe that kids

should suffer for the mistakes of adults. We’re property owners, too, and

I know that the value of our home will be maintained with the passage of

the tax.

But I always go back to the lessons we adults teach our kids by our

actions. Until this board can show taxpayers the sound financial

management history that warrants its administration of $163 million --

without telling us “it’s for the kids” -- and can show at least a shred

of accountability for this debacle, the only lesson learned is that those

who own property are always available to reward bad behavior.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. He can be

reached via e-mail at o7 dailypilot@latimes.comf7 , or call our Readers

Hotline at (949) 642-6086.