School Bond (Measure SOS) – Follow the Money Part 2.
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, PVP Watch continued to follow donation information for the Political Action Committee (PAC) that supports Measure SOS. We obtained the latest Form 460 dated October 23, 2024. We also included information from Form 497. All information in these reports is public.
Donations Summary.
All PACs are required to report donations and expenses to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). Form 460 is filed monthly by the PACs. When contributions exceed $1,000 in aggregate, a PAC must report these contributions on Form 497 to the FPPC within 10 days.
PVP Watch summarized the donations in Form 460 and Form 497:
As of October 25, the PAC received $142,786 in donations for promoting Measure SOS:
91% ($129,650) were from people and organizations outside of the Palos Verdes peninsula.
9% ($13,136) 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 top donors of the $129,650 were:
DLR Group an architect group, Omaha, NE, – $20,000.
Ledesma & Meyer Construction Co. Inc., Rancho Cucamonga – $15,000
Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc., San Diego, CA – $15,000
Ruhnau Clarke, Riverside CA, architect – $10,000.
South Bay United Teachers, Torrance, CA. – $10,000.
Lord Architecture Inc., San Diego, CA – $8,000.
ProSOC Inc. Proficio, system security, San Diego, CA – $5,000.
Balfour Beatty Construction, Dallas TX – $5,000.
Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo, Cerritos, CA – $5,000.
Urban Futures Inc Isom Advisors, Walnut Creek, CA – $5,000.
TELACU Construction Management Inc. Los Angeles, CA – $5,000.
PacificWest, energy company, Tustin, CA – $5,000.
HED, Royal Oak, MI. – $3,000.
Vanir Construction Management, Inc. Sacramento, CA – $3,000.
PKB, architect, Rancho Cucamonga, CA– $3,000.
The total amount of donations will not be reported until after the November election.
Why this matters.
As listed above, the biggest donors were architects, construction companies, a teachers' union, and consultants. These companies are not located on the peninsula, and some are outside of California. The 33% or $100 million "soft costs" component of Measure SOS is a main attraction for these donors.
The District said that Measure SOS funds are much needed for facility improvements. 73% of respondents to our survey agreed that facilities need some improvements. But 62% will probably vote NO on Measure SOS because of distrust of the District.
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