This is in response to your "opinion" and Recommendation to Voters to Vote NO on Prop. 1D in the upcoming California Special Election.
Prop 1D does NOT ask you to pay ANY new taxes.
First 5’s have over $2 BILLION in reserve they can use over the next 5 years while they help the rest of California. It's a total misstatement to say that those monies are already committed to certain programs because with one vote their commissions can re-direct those reserves to whatever they choose to. So, who's to be trusted?
Well, IMO, it's not First 5. They are run by Commissioners who vote for budgets that direct cash to their OWN departments and organizations. There are now wild exaggerations about how 1D could affect people: just not so – reserves will be used. Perhaps such claims are why Prop 1D puts an auditor on the Commission to oversee their actions.
If that does not bother you then this should: the First 5 lobbyist has received over $1 MILLION of First 5 funds & about $200K of that went straight to her pension plan - IRS Form 990s say so! Prop 1D stops her from taking any new First 5 funds!
Here is something to chew on about First 5 (Prop 1D):
Although some expenditure for evaluating programs is required by the First 5 statute, over the last 7 or so years, audited financial statements reveal that First 5 commissions have spent approximately $100 MILLION on evaluation. How can it cost that much?
Well, First 5 evaluation payments go mainly to private consulting firms like Harder and Company, not to children 0 to 5!
An audited financial statements and adding a standard 3% for inflation, an analysis shows that in 10 years, they are on course to spend over $300 MILLION on evaluation.
In 15 years, it will top $500 MILLION. In 25 years: $1 BILLION dollars+.
First 5 Commissioners are misspending funds: Proposition 10 was not meant to make the evaluators RICH!
Let's put some of the money back towards helping kids and get ourselves out of this budget mess – VOTE YES on 1D!
First 5 funds are supposed to be used for children 0 to 5, not to pay for a lobbyist of ANY KIND! IMO, there needs to be an investigation into whether or not laws were broken by the First 5 Counties when paying dues and providing other revenues to a lobbying group.
Sherry Novick received over 40% of the total revenues of First 5 Association from 2004 - 2007. And guess who is on that Board of Directors of the First 5 Association: ALL OF THEM ARE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS of county First 5's. All of them approved her paycheck and benefits. All of them are legally liable for doing so.
First 5 says they are uniquely successful – well, show us the beef!
Why is not First 5 claiming successful programs outcomes? Where’s the data?
Here’s some: In Riverside County, they spent about $1130 per child served, not $185 per client that’s suggested by the Riverside First 5 07/08 evaluation report. IMO, that’s playing with the numbers.
Here’s some more: In Contra Costa, in FY 04/05, published evaluation reports show that it cost nearly $14,000 for each ONE hour class in the Family Centers. It dropped to $3,600 in 06/07, but by God, by what measure is that "successful"? It’s not - THAT IS WASTE!
And… unlike what some will have you think, First 5 has $2 BILLION+ because it took 2 years+ for most of them to do their strategic plan and so they were not allowed to spend the funds coming in until they did. It was NOT due to good planning, it was a FLUKE!
Please do not believe the malarky. Children will not die. Children will not be abused more often should Prop 1D pass. They have billions to ensure that won’t happen.
VOTE YES on 1D!
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