Seeing that the current budget process in California is hurting education, the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has endorsed a solution: Empower the pro-education forces in the Legislature.  Members of Community College Teachers of San Francisco joined local K-12 members and concerned citizens at San Francisco’s Marina Middle School to kick off the campaign to place the Budget Accountability Act on the March 2004 ballot.  The act, if passed, would lower the legislative requirement needed to pass a budget and to raise taxes from a 67 percent majority in each house to just a 55 percent majority. 

This ballot initiative, created by a coalition of taxpayer and public employee groups, and teacher unions, also requires legislators to stay in session until the budget passes, forgoing their salary for those extra days.  It also mandates that one-quarter of the revenues from any tax increase be used to establish a rainy day fund.   The coalition has sent petitions to its members with a goal of submitting more than a million signatures to the California secretary of state in late August to ensure placement on the 2004 ballot.

The behavior of recalcitrant Republican state legislators spotlighted the need for lowering the supermajority threshold this legislative session.  When the Democratic Legislature and governor put forth a series of modest tax increases, minority Republicans dug in their heels to any increase, leaving California without a budget this fiscal year.  Fiscal observers note that a tax increase may be the only way to maintain California’s network of social services especially community colleges, which face a disproportionately large 5 percent cut in funding and a $7 increase in per-unit tuition.    

"What you have here is a group of people who see themselves as more answerable to their caucuses and their no-tax-is-a-good-tax ideology" than to California’s needs, and "they can stymie the entire process," says Mary Bergan, CFT president and an AFT vice president.

Calling the impasse politically motivated, Chris Hanzo, executive director of the Community College Teachers of San Francisco, accused the Republicans of standing firm in order to embarrass Gov. Gray Davis, who may face a tough recall election.  The Republicans should not be hurting the state of California to advance their political goals, noted Hanzo.

Wrangling between minority Republicans and majority Democrats typically occurs around July 1, the constitutionally mandated deadline.  As a result, it’s been more than three years since a budget has been passed on time.  Entering a third year of large deficits, California must now impose punitive measures after the budget deadline passes.

State Controller Steve Westly has stopped payments to certain government agencies: Community colleges have cut some summer school classes; state employees soon will be temporarily earning state minimum wage; even the legislators have stopped receiving their salaries until the budget passes.  Finally, the state is running solely on borrowed money.  If a budget isn’t passed soon, California could be bankrupt by mid August.  

See the State Budget Roundup for more information on how higher education fared around the country. [Mark Henson]

[July 16, 2003]