INSIDE SCOOP
COMMENTARY
STATE
COLOR THIS BUSINESS GREEN PAGE 3 ANTI-ROMANCE MANIFESTO PAGE 4 LUTFI HAS LEGAL HISTORY PAGE 6
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008
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Volume 7 Issue 75
Santa Monica Daily Press SHAQ HEADS TO PHOENIX SEE PAGE 14
Since 2001: A news odyssey
THE RESULTS ARE IN ISSUE
Measure R passes by large margin BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE Public education struck gold on Super Tuesday when a parcel tax renewal measure that would continue the annual flow of more than $10 million into the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District received the necessary two-thirds votes to pass, and then some. With all precincts reporting, Measure R garnered more than 72 percent of the vote, passing by a margin of more than 22,300 supporters to approximately 8,400 dissenters. Public school advocates from all crosssections of the community, some who are otherwise political foes, rallied around Measure R, unified in their fear that the district could lose out on the roughly $10 million in annual revenues it receives from both Measures S and Y, both of which are set to expire in 2009 and 2011 respectively. “I can say there is a great deal of celebration
that we had such a high number (in support),” said Shari Davis, the chairwoman of the Campaign to Protect Quality Public Schools.“It does show our community supports education.” The funding measure passed decisively despite rumors that an increasingly growing contingent of Malibu property owners objected because they disagreed with the allocation that Malibu High School received in comparison to Santa Monica High School for Measure BB, a construction bond measure that passed in November 2006. Malibu City Councilmember Andy Stern, one of the more vocal critics of the Board of Education in recent months, said he spoke with a number of residents who decided they were going to vote for the measure after learning several board members last month had reportedly decided to lend their support for construction funds going toward Malibu Middle School and would discuss making the prospect a reality at an upcoming meeting. “I’m going to hope that now the election
passed they keep their word and move forward,” Stern said. Measure R essentially consolidates measures S and Y, charging property owners roughly $346 per parcel and keeping certain elements of the existing measures — the senior tax exemption of Measure S and the annual Consumer Price Index increase of Measure Y. What the new measure has that is absent in both existing funding sources is the perpetuity clause, keeping revenue flowing into the district forever. The lack of a sunset date on the measure was an issue raised by the anti-Measure R campaign, an effort mainly funded by Santa Monica resident and Los Angeles area lawyer Mat Millen, who accused the Campaign to Protect Quality Public Schools of disseminating misleading information. “They put another regressive tax in the pool and now the tenants and the lowincome homeowners will have to suffer with
VOTER: Ronald Lopez, a program coordinator
SEE MEASURE R PAGE 11
with the 18th Street Arts Center, exits the center, acting as a polling station on Tuesday.
Alexis Hawkins news@smdp.com
Home market stays strong
DAY IN THE LIFE
SEASIDE DREAM
BY DANIEL ARCHULETA Managing Editor
CITYWIDE As the real estate market continues to show signs of weakness, Santa Monica’s property values continue to persevere through what has become a protracted decline across the nation. Local experts have varying opinions as to why, but they do all agree that the primary strength of the area’s market comes down to the old saying — location, location, location. The demand to live in one of the area’s premiere cities continues to propel prices upward while many communities across Southern California — and the country for that matter — are seeing their values plummet as the number of available properties goes up due to both foreclosures and the fallout caused by adjustable rate mortgages pricing people out of their own homes. This hasn’t been the case in Santa Monica. There have been few foreclosures in the area during the past fiscal year and many buyers looking to finance a purchase are often affluent and have little problems
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