De Anza and Foothill Colleges forfeited federal and state grants worth $1,470,000 when voters of the Foothill Ju n io r College District overwhelmingly defeated a tax override proposal.
The Sept. 19 election saw more than 26,000 citizens (22 per cent of the registered voters) vote nearly two to one against the tax override. Not one of the 80 precincts in the District voted for the measure, which would have increased taxes on a $24,000 home, for example, by $6.
DE ANZA COLLEGE President A. Robert DeHart interpreted the defeat as a “mandate” of the people. “We’re obligated to do whatever we can with the mandate the people have given us.” That mandate, according to Dr. DeHart, means “trying it the people’s way for at least a year.”
President DeHart explained that, despite the “tremendous cooperation” from hundreds of volunteer workers, it was simply the “wrong time to hold a tax election,” pointing to var ious county, state and federal tax increases. The two groups opposing the tax override, the Taxpayers’ Rebellion of Los Altos and the Santa Clara County Taxpayers Organization, made it clear that in their campaign that they were not working “against” the Colleges, but rather trying to save themselves from being taxed to death.
DeHart commented that perhaps another factor leading to the tax override defeat was the misconception that if the matching funds for the federal and state grants at stake in the election were not allocated, then somehow taxes would be lowered. The money for the grants, however, is already committed, and the grants lost at De Anza will simply be awarded to other junior colleges, which, in turn, will have raise money to match the grants.
WHAT DID DE ANZA lose in the election? Here are the more important items:
- Physical education facilities, such as handball courts, and more physical education stations.
- Law enforcement facilities.
- The dram a hall or “little theatre.” The drama hall may still be built if bids for the hall and auditorium together are low enough. President DeH art conceded that he would like to see the little theatre built first, but emphasized that the College made “a commitment to the people that we would build an auditorium.”
- A decrease in next year’s work study program.
- Ten vocational programs, which will have to be initiated over a much longer period of time.
Dr. DeHart pointed out that the money has already been appropriated for the auditorium, which was not dependent on the election.
