---

 [ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)

#  LAUSD, iPads, and Finance 101

December 16 2013

Written by Jack Humphreville.

<a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)

***![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/stories/Dec-2013/cw110101l.png)LA WATCHDOG***-According to [Howard Blume ](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ipads-back-on-agenda-20131213,0,3770028.story#axzz2neg5j5Rb%20)of The Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Unified School District is proposing to finance its $1 billion technology program to provide iPads to every student, teacher, and administrator with school construction bonds.

But financing three year assets such as iPads with 30 year bonds violates one of the basic rules of finance where the maturity of the bond does not exceed the useful life of the asset. This stunt would have the effect of capitalizing a true operating expense.

In this case, there would be no collateral after the third year, implying that LAUSD is essentially running a Ponzi scheme, where future tax dollars would go to financing past operating expenses rather than educating our children.

The concept of a computer literate student body has considerable merit in our technology driven workplace and society. But LAUSD needs to develop a common sense financing plan that funds this ambitious technology program by allocating $333 million a year ($1 billion divided by three years) from its $7 billion operating budget.

As it is, LAUSD already has billions of construction debt on the books and billions more in unfunded pension liabilities and deferred maintenance. Adding billions more is not only fiscally irresponsible, but just plain DUMB.

***(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, The Ratepayer Advocate for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. Humphreville is the publisher of the Recycler Classifieds --* [*www.recycler.com*](http://www.recycler.com/)*. He can be reached at: <lajack@gmail.com>. Hear Jack every Tuesday morning at 6:20 on McIntyre in the Morning, KABC Radio 790.)*  **-cw****

***CityWatch***

***Vol 11 Issue 101***

***Pub: Dec 17, 2013***

 [ ![Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/brian-goldsmith%20AD.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/115 "Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col")

 [ ![save up to 4000 on used evs](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/LADWP/dwp%20ev%20ad2.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")

 [ ![McKinney Campaign](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/McKinney%20City%20Watch%20Ad_final.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/114 "McKinney Campaign")

 [ ![LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/LADWP/2026%20LADWP%20PowerSavers%20300x250.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")

 [ ![Donna Tryfman](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/Donna-Tryfman-Ad-Final-Complete-Border-White-Margin.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")

 [ ![Pay Water Bill Help](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/LADWP/dwp%20-%20cares-ad.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")

 [ ![David DeJute Campaign](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/DejuteAd.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")

 [ ![Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/reitano%20vertical%20rework.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")

 ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png)

## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays

 Email

 [ ![Rhonda Haymon](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/rhonda%20haymon%20for%20judge.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")

 [ ![something you should know, podcasts](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/images/banners/something%20you%20should%20know2.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")

 ---

##  Featured CityWatch Stories

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/96/086d-96c5ee15.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)

### [Prosecutor, Democrat, City Attorney? McKinney Makes His Case to Los Angeles Voters](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)

ELECTION 2026 - The race for LA City Attorney has been laced with political accusations and allegations that when close…

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/ef/083a-eff2fa50.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)

### [The LA Watchdog’s 2026 Voter Guide](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)

LA WATCHDOG - My recommendations are influenced by the need for truly balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, long ter…

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/2f/086g-2fe97089.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)

### [The Fools’ Blame Game](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)

THE VIEW FROM HERE - Angelenos do not use elections to plot a wiser course of conduct for Los Angeles, but rather they…

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/cb/086f-cb06a60b.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)

### [California Film Tax Credits Aren’t Enough. The Guilds Need to Change Too.](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)

LONNIE’S VIEW - California used to be the center of the movie and television universe. If you wanted to make movies, yo…

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/bc/087l-bc8ba04f.jpg) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)

### [Here’s What Zionism’s Got To Do With It](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)

ICAN - The anonymous website “BHUSD Watch” recently published a long, detailed article about the current BHUSD board an…

---

##  [ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/d4/034e-d424a385.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)

### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)

### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/26/033j-26aa2dd8.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)

 [ ![](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/media/yootheme/cache/08/1404d-08c93632.png) ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)
