Here is more information regarding the Governor’s latest proposal and the Budget Crisis negotiations.

Billions at Risk

Urge Lawmakers to Block Assault on Prop. 98

Your help is needed right away to help block a proposal that would take billions of dollars in desperately needed funding from schools now and permanently reduce school’s funding base by more than $7 billion. Get in touch with your state Senator and Assembly Member and urge them to oppose more school funding cuts and the raid on Proposition 98.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders (the “Big 5”) are scheduled to meet through this weekend and consider budget proposals that could include an attack on the sanctity of the constitutional funding protections for schools, Proposition 98.

Background

CTA, the Education Coalition and other pro-education groups are battling new proposals from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would not only cut an additional $10.8 billion from public education, but would also undermine the minimum funding guarantee put into the state Constitution by the voters, who approved Proposition 98.

The issue has reportedly surfaced in discussions between the administration and legislative leaders – the Big 5. These officials – the governor and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Fresno), and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines (R-Clovis). Some preliminary reports indicate they could be moving closer to some final budget deal that could include further significant cuts to education and the governor’s destructive plan to undermine Proposition 98.

Specifically, the governor is proposing to reduce schools’ funding base by more than $7 billion by administrative fiat, declaring that he is within his legal rights to refuse to pay back the money to public education when times get better.

CTA is outraged at the governor’s assertions. The Association says the faulty argument will allow the administration to deny billions of dollars in future funding to schools at a time California has already fallen to 47^th nationally in per-student funding, according to a new survey published inEducation Week.

Simply put, Proposition 98’s formulas allow the state to pay schools less than they would otherwise receive in the short term, but the proposition requires the funds be repaid to public education in future years as the state economy improves.

The deferred funding becomes part of the funding base that becomes a floor for school funding in future years.

Contact Lawmakers

Ö Get in touch with your state Senator and Assembly Member now!!

Ö Urge them to oppose any budget plan that would make further cuts in school funding and undermine Proposition 98’s minimum funding guarantee.

Ö Organize other CTA members and school supporters in your area to contact their state Senators and Assembly members and urge them to oppose the education cuts and Proposition 98 raid.

Contact information:

Assembly: Tom Berryhill (209) 576-6425

Bill Berryhill (209) 473-6972

State Senate: Dave Cogdill (209) 599-8540

Governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger (559) 477-1804

<<Click Here for Governor's Website>>

<<Click here for Department of Finance Website>>

Budget Videos

How California Schools are Funded

Comments from our members

Richard,

I called my congressmen and assemblymen Friday. I tried calling the governor's office but his line was disconnected. Figures!

I sent a letter to the editor of the Modesto Bee...we'll see if it get printed...probably not! This is what I wrote:

California students bear the brunt of adults / legislators mismanagement:

The Governor's proposal to cut an additional $10.8 billion over the next 18 months is an irresponsible assault on California's students and schools. And adding further insult, the governor is redefining Proposition 98, the state's minimum school funding law, to take $7 billion from our schools that would never be repaid, in direct violation of the constitutional guarantee. Lawmakers need to raise revenues and solve California's budget problem without further detrimental cuts to an already under-funded public school system. I implore our governor and legislators not to balance the California budget on the backs of students in K-12 that have had no say in the mess that adults have gotten us into. Remember, these kids are the adults of tomorrow...they are the ones that will take care of us in our elderly years. Do we really want to deny students an education now in the hopes they will not remember what we did to them 10-20 years from now when they are running the State of California without a quality education and expect them to take care of us in our golden years? Please think long term and how this would affect our children. Need to raise taxes, okay. Need to up the sales tax, okay. Need to increase fees, okay. But please leave our schools and children alone!

- Jim Boling

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Richard; Did you read Steve's letter-to-the-Editor in today's BEE? Over my toast and coffee, I applauded him. I pasted it, below.

The state's deficit is now projected to be $42 billion over the next 18 months. The deficit continues to grow at the rate of $470 per second. Why? Because California mandates a two-thirds majority to pass a budget and raise taxes. Therefore, our Legislature isn't getting the job done. Their inaction has added $12 billion to the deficit. The longer this drags on, the more money these incompetent fools make! They get paid extra for attending the budget crisis sessions.

Our children are also paying a high price. In the last 30 years, California will have gone from first to worst in per-pupil spending. Do we really have to wonder why our prisons are getting crowded?

We all deserve better than shutting down schools, halting important infrastructure projects and IOUs. Every legislator, from Mike Villines, Jeff Denham and Dave Cogdill, whose attitude of "we're Republicans, we don't have to do what the majority wants," to stubborn Karen Bass to the incompetent Gov. Schwarzenegger, need to be recalled and thrown out of office for failing us.

STEVE MILLER

Modesto

- Karen Young