March 9, 2009

District 6 Report

Use cigarette money for crossing guards

By Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio
Special to the Times

On Feb. 11 at the Rules Committee, it was standing-room-only to support a memo I co-authored with other council members regarding the 60-year-old school crossing guard program.

The memo asks that San Jose use $1.9 million from the $10 million tobacco settlement monies, which the city receives every fiscal year from the tobacco industry for the next 18 years, to fund the crossing guard program on a three fiscal-year temporary basis to ensure that the program stays intact.

After three years, our economy ideally should improve and the funding for the crossing guard program can be re-evaluated. The school crossing guard program should not be eliminated, as has been suggested, to balance the $71 million budget deficit. Our memo brought out five school superintendents, two principals, three elected board trustees, crossing guards, police personnel and numerous parents from Almaden Valley, Cambrian, Rose Garden, Santa Teresa, West San Jose and Willow Glen.

These supporters spoke in favor of our memo and the need to make hard choices. The Franklin-McKinley superintendent shared that crossing guards were more than people trained to assist pedestrians crossing busy streets; he stated that crossing guards are watchful eyes for the children when it comes to outside influences. He continued by explaining that he is on the Mayor’s Gang Task Force, and that crossing guards look out for children as they walk to school to make sure gang members do not approach them.

The city began receiving the tobacco settlement monies in 2000 during the technology bubble when city did not have budget deficit. Instead of using these additional funds for core city services, as all other municipalities did, the city set up the Healthy Neighborhood Venture Fund (HNVF).

It’s not uncommon for government to start new projects, or create new government jobs with “extra money” that it has. However, my bet is that if residents voted whether government was to save money or start “new projects” with “extra money” that the people would vote to save money.

There are three groups that are currently funded “off the top” from the HNVF fund. We spend nearly $1 million on city staff to manage the HNVF (please note that this amount equates to seven full-time police officers, or nearly enough money to open all neighborhood libraries on Sunday), $2 million on children’s health insurance and $2 million on homework centers. After these groups are funded, there is over $4 million left for the HNVF competitive process for nonprofits or private companies to request money.

It’s important to note that besides these three groups, there is no other entity that is guaranteed funding from the HNVF. Groups need to apply for HNVF funding every year. Therefore, using $1.9 million for crossing guards does not displace any group nor does using some of the HNVF monies eliminate any jobs. In fact, if San Jose used $1.9 million for crossing guards out of the $4 plus million, the HNVF would still have over $2 million left for its grant process. Also important to note: San Jose gives approximately $30 million to non-profits every fiscal year, as reported by the city auditor in December 2008. I believe the city is doing a very good job of funding nonprofits even though this responsibility is not in the City Charter.

Members of some nonprofit groups have said that the crossing guard program should be paid for by PTAs or that the schools should fund the crossing guard program. I think these statements are out of touch. The crossing guard program has been under the San Jose Police Department since 1945; the HNVF, since 2000. Crossing guards keep our children safe on city streets. In fact when the residents of San Jose were polled in a January citywide survey and asked if they wanted the crossing guard program cut, 65 percent said “totally unacceptable.” When the same residents were asked if they supported reducing the amount of money the city gives to nonprofits; 62 percent said “totally acceptable.”

I support the idea of volunteers as crossing guards however volunteers can augment the crossing guards but not replace them. In the Rose Garden Park we have used volunteers with great success however if a volunteer does not show up then the garden is less clean. If a volunteer crossing guard does not show up then it puts children immediately at risk.

These are harsh economic times where we have to make hard choices, as you and your family do. Therefore, I support tapping the HNVF monies, on a temporary basis, to fund our 60-year-old crossing guard program, which keeps part-time crossing guards employed and our kids safe on busy streets.

Finally, please join Mayor Reed and me at the Willows Community Center, 2175 Lincoln Ave., Wednesday March 12 from 7-8:30 p.m. for a meeting to discuss the city budget.