Libertarian attack on Nov. ballot irks local officials

‘They’re not from here, they don’t care about these issues’



REPAIRS?—The dilapidated central heating and air conditioning system at Sumac Elementary School in Agoura Hills would receive a much-needed upgrade using Measure S school bond money. Courtesy photo

REPAIRS?—The dilapidated central heating and air conditioning system at Sumac Elementary School in Agoura Hills would receive a much-needed upgrade using Measure S school bond money. Courtesy photo

Claims about the undermining of the democratic process are usually the realm of national politics, but there’s one political group that’s using its voice to charge unfairness in a local school bond vote and to complain about shenanigans in a measure that gives added powers to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

One accusation pertains to the $340-million school facilities bond being floated by the Las Virgenes Unified School District in November.

The same group is also attacking a plan that gives the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors power to fire a publicly elected sheriff.

In both cases, the Libertarian Party of California submitted arguments that do not address the issue of repairing campus roofs and air conditioners, or who the next sheriff should be. Instead, the official party statement includes lines such as: “How much election cheating are you willing to put up with?” and “Are you tired of being taken for a chump (over taxes)? Vote Hell No!”

No specifics are given as to what, if any, “cheating” is going on.

Because the arguments were submitted by officials from a political party—a bona fide association of citizens, according to the Election Code—county elections officials must give those arguments priority over certain other submittals when choosing which arguments to place on the ballot.

The tactic may be legal but it’s bad politics, Las Virgenes school board president Linda Menges said.

“They don’t understand the needs of our schools,” Menges said. “And they clearly don’t understand how Measure S works because they overlook one very important fact: Measure S will not increase taxes.”

She said that in the rebuttal to the argument “we mention that the two opponents don’t even live in our community,” referring to the party members who signed the opposing argument.

Calabasas City Councilmember James Bozajian, a backer of the school bond measure and an opponent of the initiative regarding the sheriff, which was promoted by four of the five county supervisors, said the Libertarians’ move undermines democracy.

“They are simply promoting their own agenda,” he said. “They’re not from here. They don’t care about these issues.”

Bozajian added: “The voters here are faced with a local initiative that involves some very local issues, and now a group has come in from the outside with no motive other than defeating the initiative.”

The Libertarian ballot statement alleges impropriety by the Measure S school bond camp without giving any detail.

“It’s almost like it’s a conspiracy, because the public officials (school board) who start the ball rolling, violate every meaningful law with the knowledge, apparently, that all the other public officials will go along with their corruption,” the party statement reads.

Bozajian and Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the lone “no” vote when the Board of Supervisors proposed giving itself the power to fire the sheriff, were among four people who signed an argument opposing the measure.

“But that statement was discarded by the registrar-recorder in favor of a much weaker one signed by unknown Libertarian Party officials,” Bozajian said.

Taken as a whole, he said, “I view this as another subversion of the democratic process.”

Honor “Mimi” Robson, state Libertarian Party chair who signed the argument opposing the school bond, did not respond to a request by The Acorn for comment.

Also signing the anti-school bond statement is Daniel Welby, chair of the L.A. County Libertarian Party.

One person advocating for the bond is LVUSD Superintendent Dan Stepenosky.

Since the state of California does not provide funding for capital projects, local school districts must use bond funds paid by taxpayers for building maintenance and repairs.

“Our district is 60 years old. Roofs are 50 to 60 years old. HVACs are 50 to 60 years old,” Stepenosky said.

In early August, the five-member board of education voted unanimously to put the bond measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.

“This bond will help us take care of what we have,” Stepenosky said. “It’s a no-tax-rateincrease bond. It needs 55% to pass.”

The Election Code does not prevent nonvoters from submitting measure arguments, said Michael Sanchez, county elections spokesperson.

If more than one argument on either side is submitted in time, the law states county elections officials shall choose one of each, giving priority as follows:

The Board of Supervisors or a member of the board.

Individual voters or associations and voters who are the bona fide sponsors or proponents of a measure.

Bona fide associations of citizens.

Individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure.

Bozajian can’t recall a previous election where something like this happened.

“It’s hurting the democratic process,” he said. “It’s not the way the game was intended to be played.”

He added that after the election a change in the rules may be in order.

“This isn’t about the Libertarian Party, per se. It’s about an outside group going into local areas where they have no knowledge of the matter at hand,” Bozajian said.

The Libertarians, he continued, could actually help the bond pass.

“Instead of arguments against the measure you have a meaningless tirade of invectives,” Bozajian said. “If voters see that, the voters may gravitate toward the ‘yes’ side.”