Posted on 07/13/2008 6:52:35 AM PDT by shrinkermd
What accounts for the respect given to the education funding guarantee? For one thing, Proposition 98, despite all its problems, has served the useful purpose of enshrining the most important public policy issue -- education -- as the state government's top priority. Second, there's widespread fear on the part of state politicians of challenging the teachers union and the rest of the education lobby.
But there's still another story behind the silence: The multiple formulas of Proposition 98 are so complex that they're difficult to understand, even more difficult to explain -- and, for those who want to know how much education money will go where, next to impossible to predict. Silence, it seems, is safer than wading into the thicket.
This widespread ignorance of Proposition 98's details is most apparent when interest groups make claims about education spending and budget cuts. This spring, for instance, teachers and education advocates protested the governor's budget proposal by claiming that he was proposing to cut education. Conservatives countered that year-over-year spending would go up under the governor's budget. But, in fact, neither side was correct because neither side knows.
No one -- not the governor, not legislators and certainly not journalists -- has any clear idea what Proposition 98's education guarantee will be in the new budget year, what size the cuts will be or whether education spending will be cut at all. And because Proposition 98 typically accounts for about 75% of education spending, and education is roughly half of the state's overall budget, the rule of thumb when it comes to claims about the California budget is this: No one knows anything. Why?
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Mockler insists that Proposition 98 is not as incomprehensible as it seems. He boils it down this way: Proposition 98 ensures that schools get the money they got last year, plus adjustments for inflation and enrollment. But if it were really that simple, would Mockler be hired so frequently to advise policymakers and others who don't understand it?
The nurses and the teacher’s union kicked Aronold’s butt when he got in and tried to be fiscally responsible. Now no one will stand up to them. We need to take a direct attack: vouchers.
ya wanna increase funds available for public education...
Try checking the citizenship of the families who have their children enrolled in the public schools!
Voila!
All of a sudden, you have less children in public schools and GASP! Instantly, more money is made available for the schools and AMERICAN students.
It’s very elementary, Watson. (pun intended.LOL)
The last thing the Teacher’s Union wants is responsible management of the schools. Every additional person enrolled, for whatever reason, means more power and money for them, even if they have to waste 99 dollars of taxpayer money to put 1 dollar in their pocket.
You must remember californias clock is in the 1800’s.
“You must remember californias clock is in the 1800’s.”
Well, with the Lefties aborting their offspring and Conservatives multiplying like minks, we are fast becoming the majority in this state! And the Left & illegals are in for a rude awakening in the next few years. The “free ride” for illegals is about to come to a screeching halt!
ping
I’d love it if that were true. What makes you think it will happen? Reality does not register on the current legislature or governor.
“What makes you think it will happen?”
Just go to the CA Sec. of State’s website and check out the increase in registered “I” & “R” voters over the past 12 years.
The GOP has gained the majority in 10 counties in the last 15 years. Contrary to what many out-of-staters think, CA elections are more recently “turned” by the registered “I” voters.
We need to take a direct attack: vouchers.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This has been tried in California and in Utah and lost **massively** in the voting booth.
Here is what needs to be done simultaneously:
1) A very tiny voucher program for the disabled. Then gradually increase this program a little bit each year. When one neighbor sees a child with dyslexia going to a private school she then petitions her legislator for voucher money for her child to go to private school. The pressure builds from parents and their families and the legislators then have enough backing to confront the NEA.
2) Raise money for private vouchers in narrowly targeted neighborhoods. When the parents see how well these private vouchers work, then organize grassroots community activists to lobby for government tax credits and vouchers. The mistake Sam Walton made with his private vouchers is that they were spread over too many cities, states, and neighborhoods.
3)Organize private and home schoolers to push for tax credits both for individuals and businesses.
4) Lobby like mad for increasing and eventually eliminating the cap on charters. ( Charters can eventually become voucher or tax credit schools.)
5) Do all that we can to discredit government schools. Encourage parents to privately or home school. The more homeschooling grows the worse government school achievement looks and the bigger the political backing for privatization of all K-12 education.
I believe Cal is headed to an economic disaster and that after that we'll have to be so draconian that mabye we can actually see some changes.
or throw out
Wow - encouraging report. Thanks Kellynla!
Talk about widespread ignorance:
The self serving legislation that the Austrian proposed or supported and which he termed fiscally responsible was defeated by a broad spectrum of the electorate including conservatives. It was simply bad law, rejected by both the left and the right.
Prop 76 was the best example. A law sporting a populist theme but with a disguised agenda to shield his friends in New York who lent him $15B so he could keep spending.
You’re welcome...but of course, we can’t sit on our laurels...we must DEMAND that the borders be secured and illegals DEPORTED (because the ‘Rats will do all they can to get them into the DMV and registered to vote!...that’s what Motor Voter is ALL ABOUT! Getting illegals who are receiving government assistance into the DMV, obtain a CA driver’s license and then be able to go to the next window and register to vote!) Because we all KNOW that foreigners don’t need state driver’s licenses to drive in America...the driver’s licenses from their home country are all anyone needs to drive here!
As a teacher in L.A., I can tell you that the amount of money wasted would make you vomit. Every couple years there’s a slick new curriculum for English, all new books, tons of training sessions, tons of supplementary materials, scads of new offices to regulate the new material, new positions for advisors and mentors and trainers to implement the new curriculum... then in a few years, either it’s toast and the books are obsolete, or someone decides it only applies to certain students, and now there’s a NEW bright, shiny curriculum....
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The electorate, not the elected.
The electorate chose a contemporary, cultural icon; a movie character.
The electorate chose a foreign national, without regard to ideology.
The electorate chose a simple man and was disappointed when he failed.
The electorate keeps returning single issue ideologues to the legislature.
The electorate strives for direct democracy.
The cure:
Strengthen the due process for franchise.
Single language ballots.
Proof of citizenship and minimal literacy at the polls.
Limited absentee ballots secured through individual review.
No one knows anything. Why?
++++++++++++++
We deserve the government we vote into office. Until the voters are willing to clean house completely we’re doomed. There can be no improvement as long as liberals are in control, none...NONE.
I don’t know if we’re talking about the same thing. Rolling back the nursing to patient ratio on post-op floors and the education budget? Since this would have effected salaries and bennies in the education world, I don’t see the problem. You know there’s a big deficit here?
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