THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2002
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Volume 1, Issue 177
Santa Monica Daily Press 100% organic news. Picked fresh daily.
School district ready to take a whack at budget
Disney downtown
BY ANDREW H. FIXMER Daily Press Staff Writer
Del Pastrana/Daily Press
Ocean Avenue is one scene in a new Disney movie called ‘In the Houze,’ starring Steve Martin. Crews were filming this week in Santa Monica.
‘Peace activist’ sues city over ballot designation Court of appeals will hear oral arguments BY CAROLYN SACKARIASON Daily Press Staff Writer
www.dancedoctor.com
City Council candidate Jerry Rubin will appear in the Ninth Judicial Court Appeals today to argue his case against the city that he should be labeled “peace activist” on the November ballot. Rubin, who ran for city council in 2000, sued the city for violating his civil rights because it refused to let him classify himself as a peace activist as his profession. The state requires that canJerry didates be identified on the ballot by their occupation, profession or vocation in an effort to avoid confusion or deception amongst voters. The guidelines require that the
classification explain how candidates earn their income. Political designations are not allowed. Rubin’s lawyer, James Fosbinder, argues that the state law violates his client’s First Amendment rights . He also says cities are given leeway from the state in how they regulate ballot designations. Rubin, an outspoken citizen who has been a fixture at most public meetings for the past two decades, says political activism is his profession. He can be seen wearing his signature shorts, T-Shirt and sandals, on the Third Street Promenade doling out bumper stickers for peace and fighting for a plethora of liberal causes, including the preservation of Ballona Wetlands in Playa Vista and Rubin protecting street performers’ rights to express themselves. For this November’s campaign, Rubin
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“We’ve been talking about this for a while now. I’m not expecting the board will hear anything new that they haven’t heard in previous discussions.” — KEN BAILEY SMMUSD Finance Director
“We’ve been talking about this for a while now,” Bailey said. “I’m not expecting the board will hear anything new that they haven’t heard in previous discussions.” The school district also has prepared a second list of possible budget cuts totaling $2.6 million. See SCHOOL, page 6
Nader upset over Game 6, calls for NBA review By The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Ralph Nader wants the NBA to review Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, saying the nation’s confidence has been shaken enough lately by business headlines. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 106-102 in the game. But Nader, a consumer advocate and former Green Party presidential candidate, and the League of Fans, a sports-industry watchdog group, sent a letter to NBA Commissioner David Stern on Tuesday asking for a review, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday. “At a time when the public’s confidence is shaken by headlines reporting the breach of trust by corporate executives, it is important, during the public’s relaxation time, for there to be main-
See ACTIVIST, page 6 swing
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Facing a multi-million dollar deficit, the school board will be asked tonight to approve the first in a series of budget cuts. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board has to fill a $2 million budget shortfall. Earlier this year the school district was facing a $4.5 million deficit, but found $2 million through state funding and internal sources. The school board will be asked to approve another $1.65 million in reductions. “We have balances to cover the first $2 million but we don’t have funds to cover the remaining $2.5 million,” said Ken Bailey, the district’s finance director. “So we need to make the first tier cuts ... as a minimal step, and then the additional cuts will be predicated on whether we get (the increase in funding) we are expecting or if we receive some additional support from the city,” he added. The school board has been asked to reduce funding for staff by $478,377, which is money dedicated for teaching stipends, clerical positions and a summer custodial position. The school district also is proposing a $500,135 cut in non-staff spending, which ranges from cell phones and travel expenses to new text books and mileage reimbursements.
District officials believe another $665,630 can be saved by carrying over medical insurance costs, rolling over state lottery funds into next year and reducing capital equipment costs by 10 percent.
tained a sense of impartiality and professionalism in commercial sports performances,” the letter said. “That sense was severely broken . . . during Game 6.” The Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter and scored 16 of their final 18 points at the foul line. The letter also addresses an incident where Lakers guard Kobe Bryant elbowed opponent Mike Bibby in the nose. A foul was not called with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game. “Unless the NBA orders a review of this game’s officiating, perceptions and suspicions, however presently absent any evidence, will abound,” the letter said. “A review that satisfies the fans’ sense of fairness and deters future recurrences would be a salutary contribution to the public trust that the NBA badly needs.”
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