Wilson’s School Plan Makes Sense
* In a recent commentary UCI professor Peter Navarro criticized Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposal to reform the school construction process as a sop to developers.
California needs efficiently built schools and new classrooms. Wilson proposes a comprehensive solution that includes streamlining school construction, putting a school facilities bond issue before state voters, making it possible for communities to choose to finance new classrooms with local bonds, and a reasonable cap on developer fees.
Navarro suggests that only fees added to the cost of housing should be used to support the construction of all of the schools needed throughout the state.
Builders--and the families to whom they sell affordable housing--simply cannot bear the entire burden of building all of the new schools needed to keep up with the demand. Relying on developer fees as the only solution, as Navarro suggested, is a completely unrealistic exercise in logic.
CHRISTINE DIEMER
Executive director
Orange County Chapter
Building Industry Assn.
of Southern California
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
