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DITORIAL

Voters should adopt four needed reforms

A WEEK FROM Tuesday, California voters can adopt some much-needed reforms in the way the state operates by voting for all four of the ballot measures Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been promoting. Together they can make significant improvements in the budgeting process, a fairer election system, a higher quality of education and sensible state and congressional district boundaries.

Proposition 76

Proposition 76 seeks to prevent California from outspending its revenues and level out wild fluctuations in the budget. There are three parts to the measure.

The first stipulates that state spending growth be limited to the average rate of revenue growth over the past three years. If revenues exceed the spending limit, one-fourth would go to a reserve fund, one-half to repay money owed to schools under Proposition 98 and one-fourth for school and highway construction. If revenues fall short, the spending limit for the next year would be based on the reduced level of expenditures.

The spending limit would level out the rate of increase in state spending over time. Budgets would be more predictable and thus more manageable.

The second part of Prop. 76 provides for a mid-year correction. If spending exceeds revenues by more than 1.5 percent, the governor could declare a fiscal emergency. The Legislature would hold a special session in which it would have 45 days to eliminate the shortfall. Lawmakers could raise revenues, cut spending or even raise spending in some areas and cut in others. If the Legislature fails to agree, the governor would be able to reduce state spending to close the gap.

The third part of Prop. 76 deals with education spending. It revises Prop. 98, which set minimum levels of state spending on public schools from kindergarten through community colleges (K-14).

Prop. 98 says school spending must increase by a combination of growth in enrollment and per capita personal income. When spending drops below Prop. 98 levels, the money must be repaid. The amount owed to schools is $3.8 billion, and Prop. 76 agrees to repay it.

Under Prop. 76, if revenues drop below Prop. 98 levels, the state won't have to repay the money, nor would the repayment of the $3.8 billion raise minimum guarantees. It would still take a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to suspend Prop. 98. Schools won't be shortchanged. Spending will rise with enrollment and personal income, which usually exceeds inflation rates. Also, yearly appropriations above Prop. 98 limits can be made.

Proposition 75

Proposition 75 is designed to level the political playing field so California politics is not overwhelmed by a few powerful public employee unions.

The measure requires public employee unions to get written permission from individual members each year in order to spend dues for political purposes.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individual union members do not have to pay dues that go toward politics. However, unions assume consent unless a member requests that his or her dues not be used for political purposes. Few union members come forward to ask for the return of part of their dues.

The result is that public employee unions have huge sums to spend on political issues and candidates that many of their members may oppose. Often union financing of a particular candidate is the deciding factor in elections at the state and local levels. Then the elected candidates are beholden to union demands at the expense of the public interest.

For example, when there are negotiations for public employee contracts, everyone is on the same side of the table. In the private sector, unions must face corporate executives who represent stockholder interests. There is a balance, which is why Prop. 75 does not include unions that represent workers in private businesses. Prop. 75 is simple fairness. It gives individual public workers a choice on how their union dues are spent.

Proposition 74

Proposition 74 increases the number of years a teacher needs to work to obtain tenure from two to five. It also states that two consecutive poor performance evaluations constitute unsatisfactory performance for the purpose of dismissing tenured employees.

The idea behind Prop. 74 is to raise the level of teacher performance in California schools. By extending the probationary period for teachers, school officials would have a longer time to evaluate new teachers.

Currently, school boards have only 18 months (from September of the first year to March 15 of the second year) to decide if a new teacher has the ability to do his or her job. That is not enough time to evaluate a new teacher fresh out of college.

Prop. 74 also removes some of the many regulations that currently make it all but impossible to dismiss a deficient tenured teacher. Poorly performing teachers, who should have left the profession, instead populate underperforming schools, which need the best teachers.

Tenured teachers could not be dismissed for no reason. It still would take at least two years to accumulate two bad performance reviews. Teachers who received dismissal notices would have the right to an administrative hearing. Prop. 74 could go a long way in removing unqualified teachers from the classroom. No longer would someone with inadequate skills have job security for life after just two years on the job.

Proposition 77

Proposition 77, reforms how legislative and congressional districts are drawn. It takes the job of reapportionment out of the Legislature and places in the hands of a panel of three retired judges who must follow strict rules on drawing district lines. Political party registration cannot be considered. The Times endorsed this proposition earlier this month.

If the four reforms are approved, this state will be on the way toward a political process that is fairer to average Californians, a state government that is more fiscally responsible and a school system with fewer bad teachers. We strongly recommend that they vote for Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77. It is a reform package that the state has needed for decades.