The California Federation of Teachers are NOT amused with CA Budget

California Federation of Teachers Vice President , Ed Murray (green shirt) told the large and boisterous crowd that his ESL students are being hurt by the governor’s proposed budget. CFT teacher rallies called for the legislators and the governor to close corporate tax loopholes, not schools and health clinics….read on…..

The California Budget is stalled because Karen Bass + Democrats want Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a stipulation that he puts in writing of when/how he plans to pay the Educational budget money back.  He refuses to do this.  The Governor plans to slash $11 billion to education.  Bass said she is not allowing this unless he puts EVERYTHING in writing.  In a nutshell….hands off our Prop 98 minimum funding you goon.

“You can’t sue me…I am fearless.  Don’t you know who I am?”

As the statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, the CFT represents faculty and other school employees in public and private schools and colleges, from early childhood through higher education.

“Ladies and gentleman of California:  the California Federation of Teachers plan to sue Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Taking on the governor and legislators who refuse responsibility for a humane California state budget, education and social services advocates rallied across the state.  In Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, thousands of people protested the upside down priorities of Arnold Schwarzenegger, telling him, “Governor, don’t let California go up in smoke!”

This is the governor who deliberately misinterpreted the results of the special election in May as a justification for the enormous pain he is planning to inflict on students, teachers, school support staff, the disabled, seniors, children, saying it was a mandate by the people of California against taxes. Exit polling showed that a majority of the “no” vote came from people who wanted to protect education and social services, and wanted the rich and corporations to pay fair taxes to make that happen.

This is the governor who told a reporter last week, “Whatever happens, I will sit down in my Jacuzzi tonight. I’m going to lay back with a stogie.” That is not consoling news for the nearly one million children who will lose their health care under the governor’s budget proposal.

As California’s financial woes deepen, a coalition of tax reform and labor groups has filed a proposed ballot initiative for 2010 that would eliminate an estimated $2.5 billion worth of corporate tax breaks that the governor and state lawmakers approved since last September.

The California Tax Reform Association, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees California (AFSCME) and the California Federation of Teachers filed the proposed measure with the state attorney general’s office to obtain the official title and summary. The action is the first step required putting the proposal before voters next year. Approval from the state’s election officer also is needed before the tax groups can begin gathering signatures on petitions.

CFT, UTLA launch new radio spots for fair tax solution to budget problem

Click here to play the radio spot!

California slips a notch in per pupil expenditures:  Already ranked a dismal 46th in the nation in per pupil spending last year, the California public education budget has fallen to 47th among the states, according to the respected annual report on the nation’s public schools produced by Education Week, “Quality Counts.”

CFT files suit to protect schools, community colleges: The California Federation of Teachers, AFT/AFL-CIO previously filed a suit in San Francisco Superior Court to force the state to repay nearly $12 billion slashed from the K-14 public education budget over the past two years. The CFT was joined by Service Employees International Union Local 99 in the lawsuit, which seeks to enforce voter-approved Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantees.

The CFT filed the suit following an announcement by Governor Schwarzenegger threatening to cut education even more while he still owes the education budget money.

“Voters need to know that we don’t have to lock flawed and dangerous formulas into the constitution in order to repay our schools.   This lawsuit will fund schools at the level required by law to reflect the voice of the voters who made our children’s education a clear constitutional priority through Proposition 98.”

CFT and SEIU Local 99 said the legal merits behind their lawsuit are clear.  If schools receive less state funding than required by Proposition 98’s minimum guarantee, they must be repaid a “maintenance factor” in subsequent years.  Because the legislature “suspended” Prop. 98 in the 2007‐08 and 2008‐09 fiscal years, schools will be owed a total of $9.3 billion in back payments, a level that could reach $12 billion if an additional $2.3 billion in cuts are made in FY 2009‐10 as projected in February’s state budget agreement.

Download the suit here (pdf)

Background on the budget gap

Useful Links

Send a Letter to your Legislator

Tell legislators: No to “flexibility” that leads to cuts in categorical funds

Source:

http://www.cft.org/

Fred Glass and Sandra Weese, photos

Links:

• Tell your legislator now: revenues, not cuts!
• L.A. teachers arrested in civil disobedience protest
• CFT files suit to protect schools, community colleges
• No on Prop 1A events popping around state
• CFT and coalition partners keep Democratic Party neutral on Prop 1A
• CFT, other unions form coalition to oppose Prop 1A
• CFT annual convention votes to oppose all propositions except 1B
• Community college, UC students, faculty, staff join huge higher education rally in Sacramento
• Actions protest March 15 notices across state
• Pajaro teachers need a fair contract
• CFT president Hittelman slams state budget agreement
• Members wear blue for the economy
• Tell legislators: No to “flexibility” that leads to cuts in categorical funds
• CFT President responds to Governor’s State of the State
• AFT, NEA collaborate on presidential inauguration lessons
• California slips a notch in per pupil expenditures
• New year, worse state budget proposal
• Fresno CC instructors, students call for new revenues
• Morgan Hill teachers take contract campaign to YouTube
• Community Preschool ECE workers vote for CFT
• Election statement by CFT President Hittelman
• CFT members in last week election effort
• Superintendent visits CFT State Council
• State budget does not meet schools’ needs
• CFT President Hittelman on state budget agreement
• CFT resolutions help shape AFT policy at Chicago convention
• CFT Media Report, Summer ’08
• CFT convention report
• New pension “reform” bad idea
• Fixing the health care crisis: new tools
• New research supports investing in effective pre-K
• CFT opposes war in Iraq