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Erin Hogeboom, Director of San Diego for Every Child and Board Member of Children
First San Diego.
Follow-up on Headstart
As stated by Sue, the Federal government wants to slim down their services including reducing
the administrative costs to only 5% of their budget, stopping teaching in other languages than
English, increasing the number of children, and decreasing the nutrition and health programs.
There are 5,000 children in San Diego Co. in Headstart. There is a 60-day public comment
period for this new rule which ends on 10/6, so the goal is to have as many people as possible
make comments on various aspects of this proposed rule. That way, the government will get
tired of responding to each and give up the idea. People believe the administration will slim
down Headstart and then eliminate it. Congressman Peters knows about it.
Measure B, San Diego County Health and Safety Act
The background for this measure is the average amount that a family of four pays for licensed
childcare is $19,200 and more than 3,000 children are on the wait list. It is projected that
150,000 people in San Diego County will lose their healthcare under the enacted Federal cuts.
Measure B is a citizen's initiative and got more than 160,000 signatures, so it will pass with 50%
+ 1 majority. There is no sales tax on food, prescriptions and baby diapers. This ballot measure
does not have a sunset clause on purpose. Measure B asks for a half cent sales tax increase
which will amount to $400-450 million to fund the following:
1) Health, Nutrition & Family Services - 38%, $152 million/year
Childcare which will be managed by First 5 for the County and Children's Healthy Development
- 22%, $88 Million/year
Tijuana River Sewage Cleanup - 22.5% or $90 million/year. If there were a sunset clause for
the bonds they plan to get, they would be denied, which is one reason there is no sunset clause
for Measure B.
Public Safety - 16%, $64 million/year mainly for fire safety.
Administration - 1.5% which includes an annual audit.
Health, Nutrition & Family Services includes feeding in-home elderly, filling in the gaps for food
assistance such as SNAP, adding more affordable healthcare (including community clinics), and
support County Medical Services. Childcare includes provider stipends (training, emphasis on
infant and toddler care, stabilizing the supply of licensed childcare workers), parent-choice
vouchers, and early childhood mental and behavioral health). Tijuana River Sewage Cleanup
includes sewage treatment and more construction on the U.S. side. Half of Public Safety goes
to fire preparedness and the other half to law enforcement.
There is a citizens oversight committee with representatives from every aspect of the bill who
will review the distribution of the funds. Later on, if there is interest in changing the wording of
Measure B, it would need to go back to the voters. This bill is in alignment with the childcare
blueprint developed by the Local Planning Council.
Discussion
Taxpayers opposes the proposition, but several groups support it. The LWVSD is still thinking
about it because they usually do not support propositions that have no sunset clause, but this
circumstance seems different because of the cut in Federal support for healthcare, food
support, childcare, etc. The LWV also does not support regressive tax bills; sales tax is
regressive. The San Diego Foundation is promoting it and has more information. Their website
is in the Chat below near the end. The Childcare & Development Local Planning Council/LPC is
also promoting it, but when you search for it on google, you get the trash bill from several years
ago.

Recommendation to the LWVSD Board: Everyone present (not Erin who had left) at this
meeting recommends that the LWVSD support Prop. B.
Selected Chat
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone:
https://votereducation.sdfoundation.org/
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone: www.Tinyurl.com/NCFMCFC
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone:
Beryl, in case it's helpful, we are working with JFS to host a 'legal observer' training
through the Alliance for Regional Solutions on September 3 at 10:00AM, and I can share that if
it's helpful!
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone:
Replying to "Beryl, in case it's helpful, we are working with J...":
Here's a teaser from the first informational workshop we helped host: Racial Justice
Immigration Presentation Recording
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone: I saw that just posted! It's fantastic!
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone:
I've also shared it with the youth organizations we work with: Youth Will, Our Time To
Act, PANA
From sarina to Everyone:
Sorry if I missed intros! Was trying to multitask
Sarina Lynn Educational Enrichment Systems - I work for a non profit that provides
educational child care and education to low income children throughout San Diego county
From sarina to Everyone: Public comment due October 6
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone: I can definitely speak to this also.
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone: https://votereducation.sdfoundation.org/
From Erin Hogeboom to Everyone:
Child Care and Development Local Planning Council (LPC) of San Diego County