There is a value conflict with those in power. The voters clearly voted for music and libraries in the schools but the State administration valued RRB and dividing up the money among elementary and secondary schools to use as a site-based decision. The values of the State Administration wins as it has the power.

Unfortunately, some school board members hold the same value that decisions should be made at the school site and the voters values don’t count.

In practice, I believe, each site gets to spend their piece of the Measure E/G funding.

Some money does go to music, art, and libraries but although these programs were a priority with the public and what the public thought they were funding, the public is treated as a backseat driver of the decisions to spend partial tax for Measure E/G.

There is suppose to be oversight by a citizens committee to see the priorities of the voters were followed but this group has little effective power under State control–and like the change from Bush to Obama–some things will remain the same and not change.

Jim Mordecai