Opponents call Proposition 76 “draconian”
CITY HALL — Elected leaders have gone on record with their disapproval of the upcoming special election.
The City Council went public last week to oppose three ballot measures it fears are aimed at undermining public education.
Six members of the Santa Monica City Council voted last week to take a stance against Propositions 74, 75 and 76. Opponents say the ballot measures — two of which were initiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his supporters — would reduce funding to public schools and weaken teacher unions.
The suggestion to take the stance was initiated by Councilman Kevin McKeown, a public education advocate who also provides computer consulting for Santa Monica’s public schools.
“Since Santa Monica is a city that supports its schools, let’s take a stand early on so the governor knows we are against his attack on public education,” McKeown said.
This past spring, City Hall signed a five-year agreement with the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District to provide $6 million annually to subsidize local schools. The move was considered crucial by some officials in order for the district to maintain its high level of programming during a period of financial setbacks.
Many officials said Schwarzenegger has been the biggest obstacle to public education, not providing districts with the full funding he promised when he took office, making it difficult for some schools to stay afloat.
Voters are set to decide on the ballot measures on Nov. 8.
Councilmen Richard Bloom, Bob Holbrook, Ken Genser, Herb Katz and Bobby Shriver voted in favor of City Hall’s position. Mayor Pam O’Connor wasn’t present.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Proposition 74, which Schwarzenegger has dubbed the “Put Kids First Act,” is a measure that its supporters say is intended to improve teacher accountability in the classroom by putting them on probation for five years before they can obtain a permanent position.
Darrel Ng, a Schwarzenegger campaign spokesperson, said there are only 12 states that have a probationary period of one or two years. The other 38 states have probationary periods of three years or more. California’s probationary period is two years.
California’s teachers also are paid an average of $58,287 per year, while the national average is $46,726, Ng said. At the same time, California’s cost of living is 6 percent higher than the national average, yet the state’s teachers earn 23 percent more than the national average. Proposition 74 would improve California’s education system by being able to better manage some teachers, Ng said.
However, some don’t see it that way. Marc Saltzberg, president of the West LA Democratic Club, is organizing local efforts to oppose Proposition 74-76 and other measures.
Saltzberg said Proposition 74, if approved, would deter the best educators from working in California because it’s not realistic to expect top talent to endure a five-year probationary period.
He said people who are working during a probationary period tend to not speak up and won’t question the establishment. Having a five-year probationary period may serve as a means for administrators to have more control over their teachers, which could make them feel overly scrutinized, said Saltzberg.
Proposition 75 is aimed at weakening the political clout of public employee unions, according to a legislative analysis. The initiative would prohibit state and local government employers from withholding union deductions from a worker’s paycheck if the money is used for political donations.
Public employee unions are among the largest financial donors to Democratic campaigns in California. Of all the ballot measures, Proposition 75, the so-called “paycheck protection measure,” is one of the two biggest threats to teachers’ unions, according to westside Democrats.
The other is Proposition 76, they said, which Schwarzenegger has dubbed the “Live Within Our Means Act.”
It’s intended to improve the manner in which the state manages its financial affairs by preparing a “rainy day fund” for future economic downturns, Ng said. It also would allow Schwarzenegger to make mid-year cuts to some groups that receive funding, such as teachers.
Ng said the initiative was devised because for too long, California has spent more than it receives in revenue.
Since 2000, state revenues have increased by $12.5 billion while expenditures have increased by $23.5 billion, Ng said.
Proposition 76 is intended to stabilize revenue over a period of years as the state’s economy ebbs and flows. It also would ensure education funding, Ng said.
Not so, said Saltzberg. Calling the ballot measure “draconian,” he said money would be taken away from schools that was guaranteed in previous legislation.
“The bottom line is, it will reduce the amount of money flowing into education,” Saltzberg said. “It also gives the governor powers to declare a budgetary emergency whenever expenditures are more than budget levels.
“No other governor or president has this ability.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2005. Read the original PDF.