California
Column: Bonds on the November ballot are worthwhile, but very, very costly
There’s a lot more on the election ballot than Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump, although those two rightfully are drawing extraordinary attention.
The race for the White House is sucking up all the oxygen, to echo an old political cliche. Voters can’t help but focus on the tight presidential contest and scratch their heads when they scan the rest of the California ballot.
It doesn’t help that this year’s collection of state ballot measures is exceptionally boring. Well, maybe not so much the anti-crime Proposition 36. But the rest are pretty much eye-glazers.
Yet, there are three that are indisputably important. They could affect California living and people’s pocketbooks.
Voters are being asked to add $20 billion to the state’s debt to modernize school facilities, dampen wildfires and prevent all sorts of climate-related catastrophes. That’s a huge trade-off: more state debt for much-needed infrastructure upgrades.
It’s what two propositions are about.
The third would make it easier for local governments to issue bonds — borrow — to build affordable housing and public works. Paying off these local bonds would lead to slightly higher property taxes.
Here’s what you’re voting on specifically:
Proposition 2 is a $10-billion bond issue to repair, modernize and construct facilities at K-12 schools and community colleges.
Proposition 4 is another $10-billion bond proposal. It would pay for projects to store water, clean polluted water, reduce wildfire risk, prepare for sea-level rise and protect fish and wildlife.
Proposition 5 is a biggie for local communities. It would reduce from two-thirds to 55% the vote required to pass bonds for affordable housing or public infrastructure such as roads, fire stations and water treatment plants.
All the potential projects in Propositions 2 and 4 seem wonderful. But what makes me wince is the long payoff periods — 35 years at $500 million annually for Proposition 2 and 40 years at $400 million annually for Proposition 4.
My great-grandkid would be helping to pay off those bonds.
People who pitch government bonds like to compare it to taking out a mortgage to buy a house. But no one gets a 40-year home loan. The longer the payoff period, the higher the interest cost.
But Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature wanted to keep the annual payouts as low as possible — while they’re still in office. Let future generations of office holders fret about the annual $900-million hits on the state budget.
Even without Propositions 2 and 4, the state is paying about $6 billion each year on $80 billion in bond debt, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst‘s Office. Plus, voters have approved about $35 billion in bonds that haven’t yet been sold.
The state still is paying off several old school bonds, one dating back 50 years.
“Start with the fact that Californians already are overtaxed. Sacramento is awash in tax revenue. So why are we going more into debt? If something is necessary, why not pay for it [with cash] out of the general fund?” asks Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. He opposes all three ballot measures.
The answer is that the Democratic governor and Legislature have many competing spending priorities to fund out of a dicey budget that’s in danger of operating in the red for the foreseeable future.
So, the only way lots of public works projects will get financed is through voter-approved bonds.
The state is out of school bond money, says Nick Hardeman, the campaign manager for Proposition 2.
“Like in your home, a roof is going to last only so long. If it leaks, it’s not going to stay the same. It’s going to get worse. There’s a $4-billion backlog of school repairs needed in California,” Hardeman says.
The measure would provide $8.5 billion for K-12 schools and $1.5 billion for community colleges. To qualify for state money, local districts would need to put up matching dollars
One especially good expenditure: $600 million for “career tech” — what we used to call “shop.” Too bad there’s not more money for that.
“Not every kid is expected to go to college,” Hardeman notes. “Like future plumbers and electricians. They can get an early start with apprenticeship programs.”
Proposition 4 is a buffet of water and climate-related funding, with minimal pork — unlike some past parks bonds. There’s $3.8 billion for water, $1.5 billion for wildfire prevention, $1.2 billion to protect against sea-level rise, $1.2 billion for fish and wildlife habitat — and other climate-related goodies.
“This bond advances many of the governor’s priorities,” says Alfredo Gonzales, the Proposition 4 campaign chairman. But he adds that Newsom, surprisingly, wasn’t really involved in the measure’s drafting.
Proposition 5 would lower the voter threshold for passage of most local bonds to 55% — the same as for school bonds the last 20 years.
I’ve always thought the majority should rule on most matters.
“One-third of a community shouldn’t make decisions for the other two-thirds,” says Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), a former city council member who has been pushing majority rule for years. She finally won legislative passage of Proposition 5.
Polling last month by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California showed that likely voters were about evenly split on Proposition 5. That meant it was in trouble.
Voters barely favored Proposition 2 (54%) and were comfortably supporting Proposition 4 (65%). But few probably had much idea what the measures were about.
“One $10-billion bond is a lot of money,” says PPIC pollster Mark Baldassare. “Two are definitely a lot of money.”
Yes, but they add up to worthwhile investments.
Squirrels are omnivores, eating nuts, fruit, small insects — and according to a study published in the Journal of Ethology — voles.
Sonja Wild, UC Davis
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Sonja Wild, UC Davis
Squirrels are omnivores, eating nuts, fruit, small insects — and according to a study published in the Journal of Ethology — voles.
Sonja Wild, UC Davis
Squirrels are on the hunt in the California Bay Area.
Their target: local voles.
In a study published in the Journal of Ethology, a group of California ground squirrels were found hunting, killing and eating a vole. Lead researcher and behavioral ecologist Jennifer Smith from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire says her team witnessed this behavior in the twelfth year of a long term study.
The local vole population boomed this year. It was five to six times bigger than normal, Smith says the squirrels took advantage of that.
But this behavior is not new. “There’s been accumulating evidence of one or two events within a species of a red squirrel taking a sparrow,” she says, also noting, “They tend to go, try to take chickens.”
But these accounts have been thought to be one-offs, generally.
With this study, the squirrels’ entire process was captured via video — and shown to be a regular part of these squirrels’ behavior.
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson and Jordan-Marie Smith and edited by Rebecca Ramirez, Christopher Intagliata and Ashley Brown. Tyler Jones checked the facts.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is always revealing for the best boys basketball teams in California and final days of the 2024 calendar year should be no different.
The Damien Classic and Torrey Pines Holiday Classic always present a window of what is in store for the rest of the season and separates the contenders and pretenders. Next weekend at the HoopHall Classic West in Gilbert (Ariz.), Jan. 2-4, will also give the elite teams time to strut their stuff.
There are nine teams among California’s Top 25 still unbeaten at Christmas, a pretty high number, including top-ranked St. John Bosco, No. 6 Riordan and No. 8 De La Salle and No. 9 Montgomery.
Note: Only teams that play for a CIF State California title were considered for this rankings, thus eliminating Prolific Prep of Napa Christian, which can and will play for a mythical national title. Notes and rankings below from Southern Section teams supplied by SBLive’s Tarek Fattal.
The Braves win their Trinity League opener over Orange Lutheran without Brandon McCoy and Elzie Harrington. Christian Collins and Max Ellis led the way. Next up: Platinum Division in Classic at Damien.
Roosevelt wins the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, beating Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks in the final. Brayden Burries scored 26 points and Issac Williamson had 19.
Nik Khamenia notches 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a convincing win over JSerra, a team expected to earn an Open Division berth.
Notre Dame suffers its first loss in the Tarkanian Classic final to Roosevelt despite Tyran Stokes scoring 20 points. Lino Mark played just four minutes in an attempt to play while injured. (TYRAN STOKES DEBUT)
Four more wins started with 90-65 blowout of defending state D2 champion Oakland Tech behind 33 points and 10 points from Tounde Yessoufou, and a combined 45 from Julius and Malcolm Price along with Gunner Morinini. Yessoufou is averaging 29.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Won the Gridley Classic with wins over Branson (68-27), Clovis North (54-52) and previous No. 6 Salesian (52-51) thanks in part to tournament MVP Andrew Hilman (19 points). Texas Tech-bound Jasir Rencher and Irvine signee Nex Emeneke was also All-Tourney.
Pride lost their first regular-season game since 2022, 52-51 to Riordan, in finals of the Gridley Classic. Salesian missed two free throws with 1.2 seconds to play.
Win over Santa Margarita (61-57) to win the Vountour Classic was team’s most impressive. David Balogun, a rapidly improving 6-6 post, scored 29 to lead the way. Since then breathers over Mountain House (67-35), La Salle (76-26) and Sacred Heart Cathedral (79-39).
The Aztecs from San Diego won five games last week, including four at the Tarkanian Classic to take the Nike Division championship behind division’s Most Outstanding Player J.J. Sanchez, who had 22 points in the finals.
Eagles’ only loss comes this week to unbeaten NorCal power De La Salle, but bounces back with a win over Murrieta Valley.
Trailblazers beat Millikan 87-33 this past week.
The Lions get a taste of Open Division-level hoops in a 65-50 loss to Harvard-Westlake.
Redondo Union is picking up Open Division playoff buzz.
La Mirada has been idle since Dec. 14.
Coach Paul Tait is enthused by the play of sophomore point guard Dominic Loehle.
After lopsided win over St. Augustine (77-54), recorded tough wins over Sage Creek (75-66), Mission Hills (67-59) and La Jolla Country Day (80-68).
Monarchs have won five of their last six.
Pius went 2-2 at the Tarkanian Classic.
Jasone Crowe Jr. is averaging 37 points per game.
Had won four straight before losing 63-54 to Brophy College Prep of Phoenix Ariz. (63-54).
Quality win over Pacifica Christian of Orange County without Jeremiah Hampton was impressive. JJ Harris and Louis Bond impressed.
Canyon has won five straight. Brandon Benjamin averaging 30+ points a game.
Damien without big man Nate Garcia (injured).
Twelve straight wins isn’t a bad way to start the season. Defense a big key, holding opponents under 50 seven times, including three straight games limiting opponents to 49 in wins over Riverside poly (61-49), Salesian Los Angeles (93-49) and Wiseburn-Da Vinci (61-49).
Cougars last win came against Long Beach Poly on Dec. 14.
No. 1 San Francisco costs 18.2% more than typical US metro. No. 2 LA-OC is 15.5% more expensive.
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