California teachers mobilize to pass taxes

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(05-09) 04:00 PDT Sacramento --

Teachers in California today are launching a weeklong effort across the state to pressure lawmakers to pass tax extensions and increases in order to prevent any further cuts to schools.

Events for what the California Teachers Association is calling the "State of Emergency" will be held in cities from Fortuna (Humboldt County) to San Diego, culminating with rallies in major cities, including San Francisco, on Friday. The effort, which will include sit-ins at the state Capitol, is one of the largest nonelection undertakings by a union in years and comes just a week before Gov. Jerry Brown's scheduled May 16 release of his revised budget plan.

While the Democratic governor wants the Legislature to call a special election in order to fulfill his campaign pledge for a statewide vote on the taxes, the powerful teachers union is pushing for the Legislature to forgo a vote of the people and simply pass the taxes on its own.

Preparations for the events, which include television and radio spots, began about a month ago, said David Sanchez, president of the California Teachers Association.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/09/MNSS1JD2T8.DTL&ao=all

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[russspeakeasy]

2. I never thought I would say this, "good for them".

[defendandprotect]

3. kr

[msongs]

4. republican legislators are holding up the process, they won't care about union pressure nt

[slackmaster]

5. Release non-violent offenders from state prison. Close prisons, lay off guards and other employees.

Eliminate six-digit make-work positions for termed-out politicians.

Aggressively go after tax cheats.

Preserve schools.

[Imajika]

6. So the California teachers unions are afraid...

...the public will vote against tax extensions and increases?

Is that what's going on here?

[calimary]

7. If that's true, the problem lies with gullible voters and MASSIVE infusions of GOP-favored

TV and radio ads. The public can easily be manipulated into voting against their own interests. Just look at the teaRACISTS.