School Bond (Measure SOS) – Follow the Money.
PVP Watch obtained a copy of Form 460 for the “Yes on SOS for Palos Verdes Schools” Political Action Committee (PAC). This report is required by Sacramento to document the donations and expenditures for the PAC. The report covered up to September 21, 2024 and will be updated monthly. All information in this report is public.
Donations Summary.
PVP Watch examined the transactions in this report - the best way to know who the supporters are is to follow the money.
As of September 21, the PAC received $52,065 in donations for promoting the school bond Measure SOS:
90% ($46,600) were from people and organizations outside of the Palos Verdes peninsula.
Only 10% ($5,465) were from residents on the peninsula.
This is an important point because if the bond passes, those outside of the peninsula will not be paying the property tax imposed by the bond.
The donors of the $46,600 were:
DLR Group in Omaha, NE, an architect group – $20,000.
Ruhnau Clarke, Riverside CA, architect – $10,000.
South Bay United Teachers, Torrance, CA. – $10,000.
Robert Cho, PacificWest, an energy company servicing K-12 clients – $5,000.
Lorrie Ruis, CL Consulting for public school district plan and funding for facilities – $500.
Angela Disalvo, a school principal who lives in San Pedro – $500.
Linda Reid, current school board member who now lives in Redondo Beach – $500.
Luis Gonzales, a realtor in Manhattan Beach – $100.
Why this matters.
As listed above, the biggest donors were two architects, a teachers' union, and two consultants. One has to wonder what their motivations were besides wishing to improve the school facilities in our district. These companies and individuals do not live on the peninsula. Are they expecting something in return?
Four years ago when the school district was promoting Measure PV, the donations to the PAC were about $250,000 which came mostly from contractors, lawyers, and consultants. For Measure SOS, the October report will probably see an increase in donations.
We will update our readers when we receive the October report.
We would like to hear from you.
If you have comments, opinions, or questions about this article, please tell us by sending your emails to info@pvpwatch.com. Your input will help us improve our website and enhance your experience.
Donations
We are a group of volunteers and donations keep PVP Watch alive. If you would like to help, please send us your check for $35 or more to PVP Watch, 5011 Rockvalley Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275. Thank you.