Thumbs down: Hiding bond costs from voters

California voters are generous when it comes to opening their pocketbooks for public schools, approving about 80 percent of school bond measures placed on the ballot between from 2001 through 2016 (ballots from the June 5 primary are still being tallied). So we find it hard to understand why some state lawmakers think it’s necessary to deny voters some basic information about bonds and their tax bills.|
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

California voters are generous when it comes to opening their pocketbooks for public schools, approving about 80 percent of school bond measures placed on the ballot from 2001 through 2016 (ballots from the June 5 primary are still being tallied). So we find it hard to understand why some state lawmakers think it's necessary to deny voters some basic information about bonds and their tax bills.

That seems to be the goal of Senate Bill 863, which would suspend a state law requiring local governments and school districts to explain the property tax rates that would be required to service proposed bond issues, how many years the taxes would be in effect and how much money they would raise each year. SB 863 is one of the so-called budget “trailer bills,” legislation supposedly needed to implement the state budget.

We don't see any connection between the budget and this legislation, which seems to have stalled after being the subject of a column by Dan Walters of CALmatters. And we have a thumbs down for any proposal designed to hide pertinent information from voters.

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