Bay Area Council Supports Proposition 26; School Bond Measure Considered Vital to State's Future.

News Desks/Political & Education Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2000

The Bay Area Council today announced its official support for State Proposition 26 ("School Facilities. Local Majority Vote. Bonds, Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute."), the March 7 ballot measure that would change the State Constitution to modify the voting requirement for passage of local school bonds. Proposition 26 would give voters the option to allow a majority to pass school bond measures tailored for specific construction and redevelopment projects for local school facilities.

Gary Rogers, Chairman and CEO, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and, until recently, Chairman, Bay Area Council, stated that, "Strengthening education is an economic imperative for the Bay Area. Bay Area employers understand that Proposition 26 is a common sense measure that would improve education by improving our children's education environment."

Sunne McPeak, President and CEO, Bay Area Council, added, "Many Bay Area public school classrooms are inadequate for learning. They're crowded, ill equipped, or in disrepair. Passing Proposition 26 would allow voters to make prudent and specific investments in school facilities, which would simultaneously represent a prudent investment in the future of the Bay Area economy."

The Bay Area Council has conducted significant and detailed analyses of the Bay Area economy, most recently through the seminal report, The Bay Area: Winning in the New Global Economy, which was jointly released by the Bay Area Economic Forum in cooperation with McKinsey & Company. The report identified education as one of the key weaknesses that could threaten the comparative economic advantage currently enjoyed by the Bay Area and, further, could undermine the long-term economic viability of the region.

Lenny Mendonca, Director, McKinsey & Company, observed, "California consistently ranks near the bottom in the U.S. in terms of state spending per pupil. We need to improve this in order to strengthen education. The industries and companies in this region, particularly those that are knowledge-based, need a supply of locally educated and highly skilled workers in order to compete effectively."

In addition to the Bay Area Council, Proposition 26 is also supported by the AARP, League of Women Voters, California State PTA, California Chamber of Commerce and the California Business Roundtable.

The Bay Area Council is a CEO-led, business-sponsored public policy organization founded more than 50 years ago to promote regional economic prosperity and quality of life. The Council presents a strong, united voice for more than 250 major employers from throughout the region to help shape public policy affecting transportation, environmental quality, economic development, housing and land use, sustainable development, water policy, education and workforce preparation, and telecommunications infrastructure.