Plays Well With Others

Election Time…

It’s election time once again in California and aside from electing a new governor, treasurer and secretary of state, as well as senators and state assembly members, we’re also voting on two more propositions asking for Californians to give more money. So I’ll go through them and then explain where I’m standing on these two issues.

Proposition 81 is all about giving more money to improve and build public libraries. More money in the form of a bond measure in the amount of $600 million. From first look I think most people would think that this is a great idea, because it’s helping libraries and potentially helping schools, literacy and all that warm and gushy stuff that makes people open their checkbooks. The text of the proposition reads as follows:

• This act provides for a bond issue in an amount not to exceed a total of six hundred million dollars ($600,000,000) to provide funds for the construction and renovation of public library facilities in order to expand access to reading and literacy programs in California’s public education system and to expand access to public library services for all residents of California.
• First priority given to eligible projects that were not funded under 2000 Library Bond Act.
• State General Fund money appropriated to pay off bonds.

Here’s where my problem begins. California has a budget of over $100 billion that comes from our tax dollars. Also, in 1988, we gave them $20 billion to improve and build public libraries. Then in 2000, again, we gave them $350 million to improve and build public libraries. Now in 2006, they’re asking for $600 million. When does it end? I just have a hard time believing that 6/10ths of one percent of our operating budget can’t be set aside to fix the library system without asking voters for more money.

The sad thing is that it’ll probably pass, because most voters don’t really read what they’re voting for. It’s not that I don’t support libraries or think that they’re a great resource, it’s just that our tax dollars are supposed to be used to support them, not bonds that end up costing us two to three times as much, due to the interest.

Proposition 82 is about imposing a tax on incomes over $400,000 for individuals and over $800,000 for married couples to pay for public, voluntary preschool education. Again, I think most people will jump at the chance to create a new school system for preschool age kids. The text reads as follows:

• Establishes a right to voluntary preschool for all four-year old children.
• Funded by a 1.7% tax on individual incomes above $400,000; $800,000 for couples.
• Administered by the state Superintendent of Public Instruction and county school superintendents.
• Directs counties to prepare reports on curricula, outreach, facilities, childcare coordination, budgeting, teacher recruitment and pay.
• Limits administrative expenses; requires program audits.
• Requires state Superintendent to develop a preschool teaching credential with financial aid for credential students.
• Excludes revenue from appropriation limits, Proposition 98 calculations.

The problem I’m having with this is not so much that I think it wouldn’t benefit kids, but whether it’s really needed. Based on how screwed up our K-12 schools are, I can just imagine what might end up happening down the road to theses schools when the well runs dry of money and we start having to take out bond measures to not only fix our K-12 schools, but also the preschools. I also feel that most of the money would be mispent the way it currently is with our K-12 schools. Fat paychecks to school administrators and bureaucracy and nothng left for the kids.

I’d be all for this if our K-12’s were in shape, but as it’s written I just don’t feel comfortable supporting it. Our current school system needs to the money and I’d rather not see anything be used to create an entirely new school system. Unfortunately, like I said before, most voters don’t really read more than the highlights or even the title. —and then complain about their tax bills.

Anyhow, those are the two biggies. It’ll be nice to get Schwartzenneger out of office and put in someone that hopefully knows something about running a state. I have a feeling that based on Bush’s unpopularity, it’s going to have an affect on state elections and put the Democrats in the driver’s seat. Whether that’s a good thing or not is a whole other story but it’s one or the other, really.

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