Readers React: Misinformed voters and a poor campaign doomed LAUSD’s Measure EE

To the editor: The campaign in favor of the Measure EE parcel tax for Los Angeles public schools was poorly articulated, poorly run, unfocused and leaderless. It was spawned by the exciting energy of the Mardi Gras-like teachers’ strike in January. (“This election was a bigger rout than the Measure EE failure; readers vote 9 to 1 against columnist,” column, June 12)

Turnout was extremely low in the neighborhoods where it needed to be high for the measure to pass, and it was higher in middle-class neighborhoods.

While people know class sizes in California are too large, they also appear to think we are among the top 10 states in school funding, not the bottom 10, and that anything the Los Angeles Unified School District does is mismanaged and a plot to help caravans of immigrants. They remember a former superintendent’s botched iPad program.

Yet when you take time and explain the facts, voters respond positively, as they have exceeded the two-thirds vote threshold on almost all past LAUSD measures. The next campaign should not come without deep planning and lead time.

David Tokofsky, Los Angeles

The writer is a former LAUSD Board of Education member.

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To the editor: I was disappointed but not surprised that Measure EE failed.

These ridiculous mini elections should not be held. They cost taxpayers millions of dollars so they can vote on a single measure or office.

This election should not have been held in June. Measure EE might have passed if it was on the ballot during a regular election cycle.

Nancy Feigelson, Chatsworth

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