CA: Budget forecast includes a call to repeal after-school aid initiative

San Diego Union - Tribune ^ | 11/17/05 | Bill Ainsworth

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO – A little more than a week after voters rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's four ballot measures, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill repeated her call to repeal the after-school funding measure that helped launch the governor's political career, Proposition 49.

Hill recommended the repeal yesterday during her annual budget forecast, which produced a rosy assessment about overall state finances, including a projected $4 billion increase in the state's current year budget reserve.

The projected growth in revenues, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office and the state Department of Finance, will trigger the operation of Proposition 49 in fiscal 2006-07, which begins July 1.

Schwarzenegger burst on to the political scene as the sponsor of Proposition 49 in 2002, a year before he became governor.

But the measure has never taken effect because revenue levels were below the "trigger" required under the proposition.

In the next fiscal year, the Legislative Analyst's Office said, Proposition 49 will require the state to spend $428 million on after-school programs.

Hill said the measure triggers "autopilot spending" and that the after-school money could be better spent on basic education needs.

"Our concern is that the basic education program should have more priority than categorical programs," she said.

In addition, the Legislative Analyst's Office suggested the Legislature and Schwarzenegger act quickly to put a measure on the June 2006 ballot to repeal or delay Proposition 49.

However, Hill said if the Proposition 49 isn't repealed then the state should develop new after-school programs to make sure the funds are used effectively.

H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance, said there are no plans to seek repeal of Proposition 49.

"It's something that is a priority for this governor," Palmer said. "It's also a concept that has garnered bipartisan support."

Bob Blattner, vice president of School Services of California Inc., which lobbies for school districts, said restoring core educational programs should be the priority.

"Every educator in the state would support the ideal of enriched after-school programs. But when the core educational programs – the muscle and bone – have been starved we need to restore them as our first priority. In a perfect world, we could do both, but to mix metaphors, when you're short on milk money, you probably shouldn't splurge on dessert."

[EagleUSA]

Yes, it is far more important to FEED, CLOTHE, EDUCATE AND MEDICATE, ILLEGAL ALIENS in California, than it is to clean up the ROTTEN LIBERAL education system.

Kid don't vote.

[calrighty]

Once again.....BTTT

[AbeKrieger]

Enriched after-school programs should be provided only to those who are working and need the assistance. Not to subsidize crack addicts and the chronically unemployable so they can dump their brood off into state-paid daycare for several more hours.

Though it seems like a good idea to get them out of that environment, it doesn't help a thing.

[NormsRevenge]

And then , there is this..

CA: Million sign to make preschool universal (Meathead initiative moves on thru process) ^

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523907/posts