The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Bond opposition scarce

By Justin Berton

A quick glance around the Yes on Measure H headquarters reveals a well-oiled campaigning machine: volunteers stuffing envelopes, phones ringing, fax machines humming and keyboards clacking.

There's only one thing Yes on H supporters don't have--opposition.

With the special election set for April 14, no organized opposition has come forward to debate the $144 million school facilities bond for the Fremont Union High School District.

If passed, the bond would tax homeowners between $25 and $30 per $100,000 of their properties' assessed value annually for the next 25 years. A two-thirds majority is needed for the bond measure to pass, a number that seems to be within reach.

Bill Wood, who works for the district's bond consultant, Tramutola Company, is the campaign's co-coordinator. He said "well over 75 percent" of the 10,000 eligible voters contacted by the campaign so far have said they'll vote yes.

He estimated that 5 percent have said they'll vote no.

School bonds have been an easy sell to voters in Cupertino and Sunnyvale in the last two special elections.

In 1996, the Sunnyvale School District was successful in passing Measure A, a $34 million facilities bond, by 85 percent of the vote. Four other school districts in Santa Clara County passed education bonds in the same election.

In 1995 the Cupertino Union School District also passed a bond for $71 million, gaining 82 percent of the vote.

Terry Christensen, a professor of political science at San Jose State University who has studied elections and campaign practices, said education bonds have been successful in California in recent years for two reasons: a healthy economy and skilled campaigners leading the proponents.

"They have become politically astute in terms of identifying and organizing their likely voters: people with kids," he said.

Since state law presents educators from actively campaigning for the bond on school time, FUHSD hired the Tramutola Company to run its campaign.

The Oakland-based Tramutola has organized 59 campaigns in California, 55 of which have been successful.

Christensen said a common strategy for proponents is to keep the campaign a low-profile operation.

"There will be virtually no broadcast," he predicted, "only mailings and phone calls to families with kids."

The campaign plans to identify 25,000 supporters by phone and send applications to supporters to vote by mail.

The potential opposition, Christensen said, "usually doesn't hear about the campaign until its over."

Wood said that of the four education bond campaigns he has worked on, including last year's successful bid by the San Jose Unified School District, support for the FUHSD bond is coming together like no other.

"Of the four, this is the best," he said.

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The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Bond opposition scarce

The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper