蜜桃影视

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One day after voters overwhelmingly a $500 million-a-year parcel tax, Los Angeles city and school leaders sent a message to voters: We鈥檝e heard your concerns. And we鈥檙e going to keep fighting to fund our schools.

鈥淭his is just the beginning of our fight,鈥� Superintendent Austin Beutner said as he launched into Wednesday鈥檚 news conference. 鈥淲hen I took on this challenge just about a year ago, I knew it would not be easy. Decades of underfunding, strained relationships with those who work in schools, not enough progress in helping all students succeed and a lack of trust by many in the community.

鈥淭his can鈥檛 be fixed overnight.鈥�

About 54 percent of Los Angeles voters on Tuesday on Measure EE, which would have taxed residents within L.A. Unified boundaries 16 cents per square foot of developed property to fund L.A. schools and secure the lower class sizes and additional nurses, counselors and librarians promised in January鈥檚 teacher contract. But the district couldn鈥檛 sway opponents who doubted the district鈥檚 accountability with new money and demanded reform first.

Tuesday鈥檚 results marked 鈥渢he lowest percentage of voters in support of a school district parcel tax within the last five years,鈥� Vote No on EE spokesman Matt Klink Wednesday, citing the California Taxpayers Association. The measure needed 66.7 percent approval.

Beutner said those who fought for the tax are resolved, however, to 鈥済et back up and keep moving forward,鈥� with the next step being 鈥渢o take the fight to Sacramento鈥� and lobby Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature for more funding.

With more than 40 people behind him at the podium, Beutner thanked a slew of colleagues and Measure EE advocates and cheerleaders, including:

鈼徛�Union leaders from United Teachers Los Angeles, Service Employees International, the Teamsters, Building Trades, Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, School Police and the California School Employees Association.

鈼徛�Community organizations including Community Coalition, InnerCity Struggle, SCOPE, Korean Resource Center, Power California, CHIRLA, Great Public Schools Now, Speak Up and Parent Revolution.

鈼徛�The charter school community 鈥渨hose schools serve kids and communities with great needs.鈥�

鈼徛�The business and philanthropic community. 鈥淵ou helped make clear the children in our schools are your employees of the future, and the future of Los Angeles rests in their hands.鈥�

UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl 鈥� whom Beutner introduced as his 鈥減artner in this work,鈥� shaking hands with him at the podium 鈥� also acknowledged that the Measure EE campaign faced various roadblocks.

鈥淲e knew when we began this that there were aspects that made this an uphill climb,鈥� Caputo-Pearl said. 鈥淎 tight timeline that we needed to do to try to get resources to our students as quickly as possible. Many of the most affected people 鈥� students and undocumented parents 鈥� not being able to vote.

鈥淏ut we did it anyway,鈥� he continued. 鈥淎nd I would do it anyway again.鈥� He echoed Beutner in saying, 鈥淲e鈥檙e ready to keep the fight going. The battle for the soul of L.A. 鈥� is just beginning.鈥�

Mayor Eric Garcetti, who played a key role in cementing January鈥檚 teacher contract, even went so far as to call the day 鈥渉istoric 鈥� a moment in which you see the reflection of the face of our city.鈥�

鈥淥n a day which I know we鈥檙e supposed to be down, I can鈥檛 help but still be extremely hopeful,鈥� Garcetti said. Those who supported Measure EE 鈥渃ollectively believe that education is something we collectively have to own. 鈥� [This is] a new chapter of finding what we agree on first instead of what we disagree on first.鈥�

He added: 鈥淎bsolutely, I鈥檒l leave it up to the analysts, to the political professionals to analyze what happened last night. But I鈥檒l tell you this: This coalition is something I am proud to have been a part of long before January, to have strengthened this year through this measure, and to keep marching forward with together.鈥�

The parcel tax鈥檚 downfall sparked a question during the follow-up Q&A as to whether L.A. Unified would be able to submit a budget to the county by the July 1 deadline that fulfills the county鈥檚 requirements.

County overseers have threatened a if L.A. Unified can鈥檛 over the next three years.

鈥淏y law, we have to make sure that we can get through the next three years with the resources that we think we鈥檒l have,鈥� Beutner said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檒l be able to do that.鈥�

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