Proposition O

Proposition O, the school construction and modernization bond measure, is a win-win situation for all involved. Schools in San Diego are overcrowded and antiquated. Classes in some schools today are conducted in storage areas, auditoriums, hallways and offices. Double sessions and year-round schedules have done little to ease the strain. Many of San Diego’s schools were built 30 years ago.

In order to keep companies here and attract new companies to San Diego, it is imperative that we have a well-educated and able work force. If the schools they have to learn in and the equipment they have to use are overcrowded, antiquated or nonexistent, we will not provide the proper work force and therefore will not keep or attract jobs to San Diego.

The passage of Proposition O will enable the San Diego Unified School District to build three new elementary schools and one new middle school. It will also allow the school district to build six additions to existing schools and remodel seven schools. This will cost the taxpayer $38.70 on each $100,000 of assessed property value. All the new schools will be located south of Interstate 8 and most of the remodeling projects will take place south of California 52.

The passage of Proposition O will also serve to jump-start San Diego’s economy. The construction projects for new schools and remodeling of existing schools will employ 4,700 people in San Diego. These people, who are not working today, will be off the unemployment roll and will start putting money back into the San Diego economy.

Whether you own a business, have children in San Diego schools or are interested in the trickle-down effect of putting 4,700 people to work, Proposition O will help you. We must do our job to make sure that we have an able and well-educated supply of workers for San Diego’s existing businesses and for new businesses. We must make sure that we are giving the students of San Diego, our future, the proper education, and we badly need to find employment for people in San Diego, today!

MEL KATZ

Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce