Assembly Republican Caucus meets to discuss education budget
On Wednesday, the Assembly Republican Caucus met in a daylong session to discuss the budget and other policy matters. The Education Budget briefing was of particular interest. The Assembly Republicans are working on a plan that, unlike the Governor’s proposed budget, does not suspend Prop. 98, the 20-year-old educational funding formula passed by initiative.
The Republican education budget for K-14 (Prop. 98) plan includes:
1) A modest year-to-year growth in education spending versus the roughly $1 billion real reduction in spending proposed by the Governor
2) An increase in per student spending over the current budget year
3) Education and budgetary reforms aimed at getting more money into the classroom
Of course, the plan would require support from the majority Democrats who so far only appear intent on proposing tax increases to solve the now $8 billion deficit problem. In fact, the Democrats have proposed at least $25 billion in tax increases to date, including reducing the child dependent tax credit which would raise taxes by $2.4 billion, costing the average family of four $400 per year.
With effort, we can pass a balanced budget, increase education spending, rather than enact a cut, and not increase taxes.
The coming months will tell.
All the best,
Chuck DeVore
California State Assemblyman, 70th District
www.ChuckDeVore.com
March 28th, 2008 at 5:31 am
With the taxes I pay on my income, property tax, mello roos, the stranglehold the government puts on my small business in the form of taxes, you would think we are making our teachers rich. The opposite is true. With proposed budget cuts, we will be 50th in this country in dollars spent per pupil. How can this be? My friend’s daughter is a senior in high school and was planning to attend Cal State Fullerton to become an educator. Her plans have now changed after seeing how this state treats it’s teachers. Don’t you see what’s happening? Instead of attracting our brightest minds to become educators of our youth to perpetuate a leading edge work force, we will be settling for educators that aren’t smart enough to avoid a profession in education. Why is the answer always “raise taxes”? As I’ve let the people at your office know many times, you can call me to discuss ANY TIME.
Carl Brooks