CORRECTION: Prop H in-kind services timeline

I need to make an important correction to my first post on the Prop H in-kind services controversy. In that post I indicated that the proposal to deliver $2.5 million of the Prop H funds as in-kind services would start with the 2006-2007 fiscal year. That is not correct. As Kim's notes on the budget committee meeting indicate, the proposal would start with FY 2007-2008.

This is important in many respects. Some of the objections to the proposal came from SSC representatives that are currently developing their 06-07 budgets. These people need to know how much of the Prop H money will be available to their budgets, and what form that will take. turns out, they do not need to be concerned—this year. There is some breathing room and some time to negotiate a settlement.

I still stand by my use of the term "sellout" and I still defy any politician from the BOE or the BOS to stand up in public and defend their votes to specifically decline to include the word "new" in the budget committee proposal. It has been suggested that the BOE needs to be flexible and approach the coming BOE/BOS negotiations with an open mind. That is true. But that does not mean they should not aggressively defend the clear intent of Prop H. They do not need to be the slightest bit open minded about any notion of applying Enron accounting to allow the city to evade its Prop H responsibilities. The unanimity among a diverse spectrum of school activists on this issue should be reflected in the BOE position. The voters approved Prop H to supplement other SFUSD revenue streams. The measure includes specific verbiage describing when the city can reduce its obligations. And monetizing ongoing arrangements, especially those that have nothing to do with on-site services to students, is not in any way acceptable. Any politician that allows this proposal to enter into the negotiations is failing their responsibility to SFUSD, to our kids, and to the voters that overwhelmingly approved Prop H.