Saving the Middle Class

What California needs to keep a thriving middle class is solid support for public education says a San Luis Obispo educational professional.

California has had the most massive cuts in public education over the last three years and reductions will not impact just the next class but the next generation, said Mark Buchman, San Luis Coastal Unified School District member.

San Luis Coastal began their 2010/11 school year August 20. Yet according to published reports the district sustained $8 million in cuts for this year.

But back in the 1960s California outspent every state by 10 percent for per pupil funding, noted Buchman. And the state had the highest test scores then. Despite enthusiasm over the emerging green technology (solar, wind, geo-thermal) it is not going to flourish in California because the state lacks an educated work force, he cautioned.

“Because of the investment of education in the 1960s California was able to nurture the Internet boom of the 1980s and 90s. But now we’re in the worst financial situation we’ve seen since the 1930s.”

And students are losing out on health care and families on unemployment benefits. These are programs that many know succeed in getting people back to self-sufficiency and grow the economy again, Buchman said.

“I supported Obama (election) but I’m not happy about public education or how the stimulus package (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act) bailed out banks and auto manufacturers yet gave public education a pittance.”

California is 47th in per pupil spending investing just $8,000 annually versus $18,000 per-pupil spending in Rhode Island and New Jersey, according to the National Education Association.

Until four years ago, California was approaching the average expenditure for education among the states yet was still thousands less than the top states, Buchman said. Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning to spend $65 million on a new state prison which is hard to comprehend, he added.

“It’s my understanding that those in prison without a high school diploma is in the 90 percent range. It doesn’t take a whole lot of thinking to figure out if California worked harder at education a lot of those people would not be in jail.”

He went on to say that for every $1 the state puts into education it receives a return-on-investment of $6 to $7. But the most important aspect to note is that the more people attain higher education the fewer social services are needed and the more vibrant the tax base is.

During this economic crisis the state has given corporations a tax cut in order to get a state budget passed. That type of approach is known as the “trickle down” theory that dates from the Reagan Administration, Buchman said. The idea is if corporations get tax cuts they will use it to build new factories and hire more people, he explained.

“What positive effect has California seen from those tax breaks? … What we have now is the highest unemployment rate I can remember.”

He admits the state needs to vigorously scrutinize for wasteful spending yet it also has neglected maximizing revenue enhancement. There are approximately 100 tax loopholes that could replenish the state’s general fund if they were closed, he noted.

Buchman said, he supports an oil extraction tax, which practically every other state has. And he favors a luxury tax on big ticket items such as yachts or airplanes. But he also would extend benefits to businesses that hire graduates by granting a specified government incentive for those providing jobs in particular occupations.

Now more than ever adults need to become politically involved regardless of party affiliation, Buchman urged. He likened the current economy to a case of a child crossing the street who is about to be hit by a car but can be rescued by a helping hand
.

“Same thing is happening with public education. Parents need to reach out and save the children by saving education. They need to go to the city council, the board of supervisors, board of education, state and federal representatives and say; we need to save public education.”


Photo Caption: Mark Buchman, San Luis Coastal Unified School District member, interrupts his coffee break at the Blackhorse Café to advocate for public education.

Laird Lectures to Faithful as Educators Endorse Candiacy

Even voters with no stake in education ought to support John Laird’s campaign for the State Senate, because education is such a crucial component for California’s future, Laird stated at a press conference in late July. A couple of dozen supporters, mostly educators, came out in a dense fog to the Chris Jesperson Elementary School to hear Laird explain why he is the best candidate.

The state reached another dubious milestone this past year, noted Laird:  California slipped from 46th to 47th in per-pupil spending. He noted that there are two alternatives to resolve the state budget deadlock concerning education. Either the state can cut $250 per pupil from what it spends now or it can add back the funds already slashed so that education funding is restored to more than what it was last year, he said. “A recent study showed California had the best academic standards in the country. So we have the academic rigor but just not the resources to implement it.”

Julian Crocker, SLO County Superintendent of  Schools, said allocations, including kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as the California State University system, comprise 60 percent of the state’s general fund, so education is of vital importance.  “Laird understands the devastation that’s happened over the last 24 months. Education funds have been cut by $40 million. He’s committed to stopping the funding slide and getting San Luis back to being competitive in the global market place.”

Jim Conway, California Faculty Association representative, said his organization is proud to support Laird, “because every student in the state deserves the highest quality education possible.” Conway went on that Laird will make higher education more accessible and affordable, stop lawmakers from slashing the education budget that has been cut by $1 billion over the last two years and stem staff reductions that saw a loss of 1,500 faculty in the same time period. The CSU’s have seen a 200 percent increase (including 10 percent more for next year) in fees since 2002, he added.

“By electing Laird, we’ll return majority rule (to Democrats in the legislature) to California. If you believe in the public education system you must support Laird.”

Sal Caminada, a disabled Vietnam veteran and now an instructor at Hancock College, said, affordable community college enabled him to advance to where he is today.

Veterans do not emerge from a war and transition into a profession without training and many veterans and high school graduates need the training they can get from a two-year program, he said.

“Laird has already shown he’s an ally of education. When he was in the Assembly he supported bills specifically for community college funding.”

Andrea Devitt, a Cuesta College counselor, added, Laird has consistently supported education, while other candidates “talk the talk but do not walk the walk.”

Laird, former Democratic Assemblyman, finished second in the June 22 special election for the 15th District State Senate seat. Laird won 41 percent while top vote getter, Republican Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee received 49 percent. Since no candidate received more than 50 percent, a runoff election is being held on August 17.

The election was called when the former 15th District Senator Abel Maldonado seat was left vacant after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him as Lieutenant Governor in May. Two other candidates, Independent Jim Fitzgerald of Nipomo and Libertarian Mark Hinkle of Morgan Hill will also compete in the runoff.

Despite finishing 11,000 votes behind Blakeslee, Laird says the election is not about changing the opinions of those who voted in the last election but about the 350,000 who did not vote. “The question is can I energize 15,000 more voters to cast a ballot for me? If I can, I can win this election.”

Never too Much of a Good Thing..

Welcome to June, fellow Californians.  Welcome to TWO elections this month!

Just a reminder that we have two very important elections this month:  the regular primary election on June 8 and the special election on June 22. Both are essential elections to the future of SLO County and to California.

June 8 is the primary election that can actually elect county supervisors in District 2 (Bruce Gibson) and District 4 (Jim Guthrie).  Electing these two in June avoids a run off election in November and will keep a rational, planned growth majority on the Board of Supervisors.  Bruce and Jim have the experience and knowledge to balance good business practices with the need to preserve the open spaces and agriculture properties that make SLO County such a desired place to visit and stay.  Electing their opponents could open us up to looking like Santa Monica. Not what I'd like to see.

June 8 is also where we get the opportunity to vote on propositions.  There are three that it is vitally important that we defeat: 

Proposition 14 - Top Two Primary.  This is Abel Maldonado's last extortion to vote for a budget.  Under this measure, there would be no party designation on the primary ballot and the top two vote getters would go to the General Election.  This would mean that smaller parties would almost never have the opportunity to have a candidate on the General Election ballot and you could end up with two candidates from the same party as your final two choices.  Can you imagine only having the choice between Katcho Achadgian and Matt Kokkonnen on a November ballot.  I call this disenfranchising the voters.

Proposition 15 - Two-Thirds Vote for Local Power.  This is also known as the preserve PG&E's monopoly status initiative.  At last count, PG&E has spent more than $44 million qualifying and promoting their initiative.  They want to be able to prevent local municipalities (like Marin) who negotiate for lower power rates directly from suppliers or want to provide green power to their communities from ever being able to do so. We know that the 2/3's vote has worked so well on the California budget process that PG&E wants to use it to preserve the status quo in power management.  Oh, after spending all of this rate payer money without an approval vote, PG&E is also asking for a rate increase.

 Proposition 17 - Auto Insurance Regulations.  This one is brought to you by Mercury Insurance and wants to penalize anyone who has dropped their auto insurance because, oh, they sold their car or were deployed overseas, or suffer from a condition that makes them unable to drive.  Again, when a big company in the industry is the one putting the money and effort behind an initiative, it is never the average citizen who will benefit.

Now we come to June 22.  This is the Special Election that the Governator called to fill the 15th Senate District race.  By electing John Laird in June, we can once again have representation in the California Senate for the Central Coast.  John has a proven record as a leader, with a great environmental record, experience in passing an on-time budget in the California legislature, and will once again give us a progressive voice in Sacramento.  Unlike his opponent, Sam Blakeslee, John will never vote for off-shore oil drilling (which Sam did just last year).  He will hold California companies to paying their fair share for services and resources they take from the people of the state and will serve with honesty and integrity.

Whether you go to the polls for each election or send in you absentee ballot, please make sure to vote in both elections.  Your vote can and will make a difference.

Kucinich to Investigate Fannie/Freddie Bailout

A statement from Dennis Kucinich following an announcement from White House regarding the bailout of Fannie and Freddie in a Christmas Eve news dump.

“As Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I’m announcing that the Subcommittee will launch an investigation into the Treasury Department’s recent decision to lift the current $400-billion cap on combined federal assistance to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, opening the way for additional, unlimited funds through the end of 2012. This investigation will include the role played by Fannie Mae chief executive Michael J. Williams and Freddie Mac chief executive Charles E. Haldeman in the decision, if any, and will seek to ensure that the additional assistance is used for homeowners and not Wall Street.”

"Many questions remain unanswered regarding this move by the Treasury. Why suddenly remove the cap? Indications are that Freddie and Fannie, even as millions of Americans lose their homes, have used just $111 billion of the $400 billion previously available to them. Is lifting the cap on assistance a back-door TARP?”

“Additionally, I want to determine whether Fannie and Freddie have a cohesive plan to buy up the under-performing mortgages that remain on the books of the big banks, at appropriate prices, and undertake a massive reworking of the terms of the mortgages so as to stem the foreclosure crisis that continues to plague our country. This new authority must be used responsibly and for the benefit of American families. This cannot be used simply to purchase toxic assets at inflated prices, thus transferring the losses to the U. S. taxpayers and acting as a back-door TARP.”
On Christmas Eve, they also announced $4-$6 million compensation packages for their top executives. But they’ll start foreclosing on homeowners again in January.

Fannie and Freddie have been corrupt cesspools for years, a place where presidents of both parties parked friends like Dennis DeConcini and Rahm Emanuel, giving them lucrative spots on the board of directors as political payoff. As government sponsored entities (GSEs) selling shares to the public, they operate like hedge funds that socialize losses and privatize profits. From the LA Times last year:

"This week ... news broke that until August, the lobbying firm owned by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis was paid $15,000 a month by Freddie Mac, one of the mortgage giants implicated in the current crisis (now taken over by the government and under investigation by the FBI). Apparently, Freddie Mac’s plan was to gain influence with McCain’s campaign in hopes that he would help shield it from pesky government regulations.”
It appears they kept looking. The Democrats have been too intimidated by leadership to start looking into the utter corruption at these entities, but Kucinich just doesn’t care.

Keep up with Dennis Kucinch by visiting his website: http://www.kucinich.us/ Watch Congressman Kucinich Speakout on Afghanistan, Jobs, and Constitution.

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