Foothills Sentry March 2020

Foothills Sentry March 2020 Page 7 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 29 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com Circulation … 43,400 • Published on the first Tuesday of each month and distributed to residences, businesses, libraries and civic centers. 714-532-4406 Fax: 714-532-6755 foothillssentry.com 1107 E. Chapman Ave., #207 Orange, CA 92866 ©Foothills Sentry 2020 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Design Jackie Steward graphics@foothillssentry.com 714-588-1748 Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 Office Manager Kathy Eidson officemanager@foothillssentry.com By Stephanie Lesinski Before a packed ballroom of hundreds of Orange County’s largest home builders, Economist John Burns announced, “We do not have a housing shortage.” Burns, CEO of John Burns Real Estate Consulting, had been invited by the Building Indus- try of America to give his an- nual housing forecast for Orange County. “We have an affordability is- Industry pundit says housing shortage is overstated Loren Spivack to speak at ORWF By Andie Mills Gone are the days of simple bake sales and car washes. To- day’s students (parents) sell beer, fireworks and scrip, host car shows and jog-a-thons, golf tour- naments and galas to help miti- gate the costs of school activities and provide updated classroom technology. Booster clubs seek sponsors and matching dollars. Alumni are tapped for subsidies. Teach- ers post gofundme requests for lab supplies, and send out lists of items needed for back-to-school. Philanthropic groups pony up funds for teacher projects, play- ground equipment and librar- ies. Schools host “beautification days” where students, organiza- tions and parents are tapped to clean the grounds, do landscap- ing and make repairs. Dads’ clubs install coat hooks, provide funds and install tech equipment. Requests for funds for field trips, science projects, AP tests, books and banquets continue through graduation robes. Homeowners help fund public schools. Out of every property tax dollar, the OC Treasurer esti- mates that 62 cents is allocated to schools. Additionally, local prop- erty taxes include the new Orange Unified School District Measure S funding at a rate of .02288 per- cent. Residences in the Rancho Santiago Community College District are taxed at a .02818 rate. That computes to roughly 67 cents per property tax dollar in support of schools. In the Tustin Unified School District, bonds from 2002, 2008 and 2012 add on an additional .01842, .02969 and .01565, for a total tab of .06376 more per $1. Go, fight, fundraise! Parent involvement and sup- port is crucial, despite tax sub- sidies. In addition to general funding to parent-teacher groups for elementary programs such as ArtMasters, and high school assemblies and activities, par- ent groups must step up. Dances and proms can run into the hun- dreds of dollars, more than many families can afford. Donations are requested from parents: per student, per activity. Donations must be voluntary only, not “pay to play.” Schools districts state that, “No students will be barred from participating in an activity or negatively impacted because of a failure to donate money to the program.” And, said one booster trea- surer, “we find that only about 75 percent of the kids contribute.” Programs have to then be modi- fied, “wants” versus “needs” de- termined. Students may play with older equipment, lose the op- portunity to compete at a higher level, or attend more advanced competitions. Program directors have to curtail travel, forfeit new uniforms and equipment – all difficult when trying to compete against more affluent schools or club teams. “We are lucky,” said one parent, “if we can buy a few new balls each year.” The tab? Foothill tennis or soc- cer may be $500, plus transporta- tion costs. (And the players return their uniforms each year.) Foot- ball at ElMo, $400; $450 for vol- leyball. Swim at Villa Park, $295; water polo, $350; band, $300. Water polo at Foothill offers op- tions, from $490 to $1,000, plus transportation fees. Parents report spending $1,200, and up, for foot- ball or cheer at VPHS. Parents also help the bottom line by purchasing team apparel and accessories, signage or name plaques at the pool, gym or on fences. Coaches, advisors and parent leaders are tasked with cre- ative fundraising to make up the difference – which may include caroling, poinsettias, mattresses, donuts, restaurant dinner nights, pancake and spaghetti dinners. Underwriters assist with bigger projects such as new safety hel- mets, or tennis court resurfacing. Canyon High School Foundation raised $95,000 in 95 days, for a total of $300,000, to update the gym. El Modena Foundation pur- chased a new speaker system for use at the school. Orange High’s Director of Choral Music Mike Short is spearheading a commu- nity fundraising effort (GOCAT) to build a performing arts facility for OUSD schools and local arts programs. More schools are establishing foundations to update technology, refurbish facilities and support new programs. Everyone agrees that students should have the most up-to-date technology, learning and athletic opportunities. But what is the bot- tom line? Are continual fundrais- ing efforts providing real value? sue,” Burns continued, “and that’s because those in the market for housing have lower-paying jobs.” According to Burns, in- stead of flocking to such higher- paying sectors as IT and the fi- nancial industry, many workers are opting for lower-paying pro- fessions such as the leisure and hospitality industry. Meeting demand “Despite what has been widely reported,” Burns said, “pundits have overstated the Millennial boom. We are currently meeting the demand for housing needed to shelter America.” According to Burns, growth for working-age adults need- ing housing has been declining, and will continue to decline. In Orange County, single-family building permits are at their low- est level since the 1990s. Even multi-family permits, most re- cently on the rise, are not back to the peak seen in the 90s. Burns compared Orange Coun- ty’s housing market to Goldi- locks finding a bed that was “just right.” If home builders had built too many units, Burns explained, it would have created a glut, eroding profits. If they built too little, it would have created price appreciation greater than wage growth. OC on track Contrary to what has been re- ported, home ownership in Or- ange County is not that far off na- tional levels. In 2019, 64 percent owned homes nationally, com- pared to 57 percent in Orange County. “Home equity,” he said, “is at an all-time high.” According to Burns, five home builders control 60 percent of Orange County’s market share. Lennar, the nation’s largest home builder, has 19 percent of the market share, followed by the Irvine Company at 12 percent, Shea and William Lyon Homes at 11 percent and Toll Brothers at 8 percent. While sales of existing homes were down in 2019, compared to 2018, they started rising in the fourth quarter. Burns predicts that trend will continue for the next several months. Commentary The cost of education is higher than you think “The Free Market Warrior” Lo- ren Spivack will be the morning speaker at the Friday, March 20 meeting of the Orange Republi- can Women, Federated. Spivack is an economist, author, and po- litical satirist. He founded “The Free Market Warrior” in 2009 in an effort to make a positive dif- ference in American politics and economics. Going beyond his seminars in economic literacy, he has authored three political paro- dies: “The New Democrat,” “The Gorox,” and “The Wizard of Iz.” His books will be available for purchase at the meeting. ORWF holds its monthly meet- ings on the third Friday of the month at Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Andrew’s Hall, 1855 N. Orange-Olive Road. Registra- tion and coffee begins at 10:30 a.m., with the meeting starting at 11 a.m. A buffet lunch is $20, payable at the door; a reservation is required. Contact Peggy Baranyay at (714) 828-1289 or (714) 502- 4720 or swtmthr@sbcglobal.net to make a reservation. Men are encouraged to attend. Tustin Public Schools Founda- tion will return to the Tustin Ranch Golf Course on Thurs., April 2 for its 7th Annual Golf Classic and auction. The Classic raises funds for public schools. Centaurus Fi- nancial has committed as the title sponsor, but sponsorship oppor- tunities are still available. After a day of golf, participants will be welcomed at a reception hosted by Enderle Center and enjoy a lively auction. Contributions are welcome for the auction. Full in- formation on the Classic can be found at tpsf.net/golf. TUSD Golf Classic coming