Teachers Support Gov.'s Plan to Cut Schools by $2 Billion

[teach1st]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-budget6jan06,1,874966.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Los Angeles Times, 1/6

SACRAMENTO — With the support of California's largest teacher's union, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to propose cutting at least $2 billion in education spending when he presents his first state budget Friday.

After closed-door negotiations with the governor's staff, leaders of the California Teacher's Assn. agreed to back an assortment of temporary education cuts — the details of which remain sketchy — in return for Schwarzenegger's pledge not to tinker with Proposition 98, according to officials close to the talks. Proposition 98 is a constitutional amendment guaranteeing that K-12 schools and community colleges annually receive an increasing stream of money from the state's general fund.

The union support could take significant political pressure off Schwarzenegger, who promised during his election campaign not to cut education in the course of resolving the state's $14-billion budget deficit.

Budget analysts were anticipating that the governor would do battle with the education community over his insistence on closing the deficit without any new taxes. But educators said privately Monday that with schools accounting for about 40% of the budget, $2 billion in temporary cuts seem manageable. They had been bracing for much worse, alarmed by recent comments from the governor that a suspension of Proposition 98 might be necessary to rein in what he characterizes as out-of-control spending.

[lcordero]

1. the teacher's assn just stabbed in the back the ppl that they are

supposed to be serving.

[JailForBush]

2. What's new about that?

That's business as usual for most teachers unions.

[okoboji]

3. they don't care

they got autographed photo's of the Terminator....

[Aidoneus]

4. some kind of capitulationist eunuchs run this "union"?..

:eyes:

Prop.98 worth that much to them, or was there something else offered?

[lcordero]

5. I'm single and don't have any kids

I think that a pre-emptive vasectomy looks very promising.

[xchrom]

6. heavy sigh

i needed this news?

[punpirate]

7. Let's keep in mind that this is the same...

... routine that Pete Wilson pulled nearly a decade ago, and teachers then had to suck it in to keep their jobs and stay in the system, and even so, a significant number still were laid off.

Once Schwarzenegger is gone, there will be the same routine as with Gray Davis. People will demand better schools and the next governor will have to comply and raise taxes to do it. Then, he or she will get hammered for the tax increases, and possibly face recall.

The real problem in CA is that the property tax laws were written to protect the wealthy, who still do not pay their share, based on current property value. Property taxes in CA don't pay all of the costs of school systems, but they pay some.

Once again, so many blame the teachers and their union, where the real culprit is a tax system which favors the wealthy. Dig it out, folks. This is not about the California NEA. This is about the rich and their unwillingness to support a part of the state system which helps to make them wealthy. Reagan started this nonsense. Before Reagan became governor, California could afford to send the poorest of kids to college, tuition-free, if he or she was qualified. Reagan wrecked that. Wilson then wrecked the public school system. Schwarzenegger is now completing the plan which voters denied Wilson. Wilson's people are running the Terminator. Someone has to run the robot, after all.

Cheers.

[izzie]

8. What Reagan did to Ca. made me leave the GOP.

I really sat down and just thought about what I wished for my country.I found I was really an old time Dem. and had voted as my father had out of pure habit. One thing I did like about the GOP is they did not like war but I do not know why they changed on that. And I always thought and still do that we should have every one learn English in this country, as this would keep a common bond with all the pop.It should be what we speak as the whole country.

[booksenkatz]

9. Hmm, CTA represents teachers as well as AARP represents

senior citizens.

Excuse me, I'm still having trouble processing the idea that teachers want less money for their schools. You see, I come from a family of teachers, and this absolutely does not compute... my brain hurts!!!!

[dusty64]

10. Sounds like our unions

need to be swept as clean as our political parties. What a load of shit.

[ClintonTyree]

11. And these Jackasses..................

expect The Gropinator to keep his word? What a silly, silly world we live in. The union will be the first to be attacked by Der Gropers hatchet men after the budgetary dust has finally settled. What fools.

[cthrumatrix]

12. arnold lied....didn't keep his word.... and the media "ignores"...

where is tweety calling this guy out... ?

[David__77]

13. I disagree with everyone else posting here...

I work for a school district in CA. I am pretty confident that the same thing would have happened if this were Gray Davis. We've already had "temporary cuts" to education. The absolutely crucial thing is that Proposition 98 be maintained. It's a bad thing, any cuts to education. But we have to be strategic here. We have to make sure that certain conditions have been met before we can reasonably expect the public to press for the "no new taxes" mantra to be discarded. I think this a good decision, more than likely.

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. Hmm - A Canuk's perspective -

.
.
. If one thinks about the BILLIONS spent on the WarMachine fo the so-called war on terror

The Feds coulda given 2 Billion $$$ TO EVERY STATE !!!

But ok, they "got" Saddam

Screw the future Education of the United States

Da BFEE don't want educated voters anyhoo !!

[Pale Blue Dot]

16. You're right.

And I'm sure that the energy companies will support cuts against their companies, and corporations will support cuts in corporate welfare programs, and lawmakers will support cuts in their salaries...

This is bullshit. Why the hell did they have to be the first to back down? How is that fighting for what's right for California?

[goforit]

15. Onward to home schooling!!!

No need to have any public education after all!!!