Teacher’s have throughout American history been used as hostages by governments for raising property taxes for whatever reason. The precedent I recall from a bit of research was the Chicago tax strike in the 1930s. Shutting down schools was the draconian measure taken to end the strike. In a situation like this, with an economic depression in the background, who is the aggrieved party? The teachers hard done by the government, in my view.

OUR California school districts are asked by the Governor to make mid-year cuts! — prior to having any legislative agreement on the budget for this year or the next one, to meet the state laws requiring a ‘balanced budget’ based on the Governor’s Budget, until a formal State Budget is approved.

(California Republicans cleverly have followed the ‘no tax’ mantra with the requirement that it takes a 2/3 vote to add any new taxes, which means it takes 3 Republican votes, and the ninnies have refused, with great discipline, to vote for any new taxes. Hence the bankruptcy of California!)

That means many school districts frantically shuffling students to fire union teachers mid-year and put the students who-knows-where.

Then there’s next year’s Governor’s budget cutbacks. Our small school district will lose $2.2 million, which means 34 teachers. It’s the end of all class size reduction K-3 and 9th grade (there are already 40 in calculus classes); doubling of ESL class size; no more high school electives (let’s hear it for the 3 R’s); adios to music and arts, unless parent fundraising buys them back.

Just imagine what happens in school districts that have no parent fundraising, no hope of buying back program for their districts.

And Prop 13, that grandfather of the tax cut mania, also mandates that taxes can’t be raised more than 2% a year. So all those forclosures and home price drops — up to 40% in some parts of the state — will cause a permanent end to those property tax funds (based on the value of a home when it is sold or loses value) for years and decades to come.

I must go for now. My honey seems to think it would help sell our lovely house if there were at least a path through the clutter. Huh! Go figure!

((((hugs)))) to all you teachers and your support crews out there in cyberland. Your profession is a noble one. *bows in respect*