Elections are coming up and this is the situation of highest local concern as I see it. Please recognize that the following represents my opinion about this situation that so greatly affects the families and their children in six cities. You see I am at war with those who selfishly abuse our well intended environmental laws for their own personal agenda.
We have a group of people: Keith Weber, Maxine Terner, Lori Rutter (of Massachusetts), and Claire Mack. This group is lead by Keith Weber and, for reasons they believe would suit their purpose, have essentially brought the program to bring our six high schools up to current life safety codes to a standstill. Their arguments have been that we have violated the environmental process and that we unnecessarily want to destroy a historic monument.
Let?s look at what this is costing us the taxpayers who overwhelmingly passed the bond issue and have, foremost in our minds the education and safety of our children.
First, the construction program at San Mateo is being delayed over a year. The normal time escalation cost of this delay is estimated at $102,000 a month. We then have to add to this cost the expenses of our legal fees, our continuing environmental consulting fees, and our continuing A & E fees not to mention the distraction of our school administrators away from their primary responsibility of educating our children.
Now, when and if this gets resolved in the courts then there will be the additional necessary cost of $380,000 to re-bid the job.
You must recognize that a somewhat similar situation exists at each of the five other schools since the court, at the request of this small group, has prohibited the use of the approved bond funding for any demolition and subsequent new construction. What we are talking about is that 8,200 young people in our high school classes from about 7,000 families in 6 cities are being held hostage in order to satisfy the very personal interests of a handful of people. Oh, and by the way, all of the legal costs of this small group in support of this historical travesty must, by law be born by we, taxpayers. You know the ones that are being offended.
Finally, we have Judge Carol Mittlesteadt who lives in Santa Clara County (not San Mateo County). She is supporting this farce by demonstrating a complete lack of recognition of the will of the people and the common good.
Well, there are two steps left in our battle to do what is right. First and foremost is for each of us to get out and overwhelmingly pass Measure C on the November ballot. This will modify the wording of the original bond request so that the ?courts? will approve use of the funds for any required demolition and new construction. It is so important that you, within your own sphere of influence, encourage your friends and neighbors to ?get out and vote? and to support Measure C. And, as you would expect the additional cost of $120,000 to put this additional clarification on the ballot was your money.
Finally, at the request of Judge Mittlesteadt, we are providing the Court (her) with a clarified data presentation to support our environmental position. Superintendent Tom Mohr will be presenting this to Judge Mittlesteadt near the end of November.
Can you imagine just how much effort Tom Mohr and his staff have had to take away from their primary mission of educating our children and just how much of our approved bond funding has had to be spent just so that we can be allowed to provide our children, with our own money, the best and safest school environment we possibly can?
Now, you can see why I consider this exercise to be a massive abuse of our environmental laws at the expense of our children. I consider this to be a shameful and irresponsible exhibition of selfishness.
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