Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Voters frustrated with local Sacramento Republicans. Martin Garrick, Nathan Fletcher, Diane Harkey, Mark Wyland deny taxpayers the right to vote

The North County Times has devoted front page space to allowing our local Sacramento Republicans to pretend that they are doing the job they were elected to do.

You can read our local four Sacramento Republicans try to spin their despicable decision to deny us the right to vote as something positive in the North County soft ball piece entitled:

REGION: Legislators frustrated with meltdown in budget negotiations


http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_21f8adc6-7294-5819-8d39-a3202b264fec.html


Not one Sacramento Republican, NOT ONE, agreed to allow us to vote. Then our local Sacramento scum, have the nerve to try to blame the Governor? What chutzpah!

The Sacramento Republicans did not trust the people of the state of California. So the sniveling traitorous cowards now try to blame their unwillingness to give us a vote on somebody else!

Their whining sounds like the lies of an OJ lawyer saying it was a drug cartel that murdered Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Hey right, we believe you.

Say Sacramento Republicans, how much did you get from King Grover Norquist for betraying the voters in your district? How much will you celebrate when public schools are cut back by four to five ADDITIONAL weeks for the next school year? What one less week this year wasn't good enough? Oh that's right FACT based public education frightens you.

Well you heartless and mean spirited sc*m, every child in California even in your religious based publicly financed "charter" public schools will have a severely curtailed learning experience next year.

And for the folks that listen to am con man radio who support the heartless agenda of the Sacramento Republicans and their King Norquist, why don't they ever wonder why there is only one message from the hired guns am radio conmen? They who listen and believe the conmen are even more responsible for what happened today.

Without the lies of the con man on the radio and those who believe and act on those lies, these Robbercons in Sacramento would have been afraid to kiss the ring of King Norquist and declare their ever lasting loyalty to his wishes and demands. They might have given us a chance to vote. But no, King Norquist and his billionaire bully patrons get there wish--No vote for you!

Congrats to foolishness, meanness, selfishness, and the continuation of the plunder of every resource of the middle class by the billionaire bullies and their hired guns. And so ended democracy in the great American experiment.

Here are the names and phone numbers of the four who betrayed you and every other North County taxpayer, voter, parent and child:

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Back Hand Criticism of Sacramento Republicans by North County Times

Pigs fly a second week in a row. The North County Times editorial staff has back handly mildly criticized the Sacramento Republicans on two consequetive Saturdays by reprinting a mild criticism of the Sac. Repubs from another newspaper. Here is the reprinted editorial from the safely pro Republican Stockton newspaper that made it passed the union hating editorial staff at the North County Times:

Let the people speak

Last week, half the heavy lifting for the new state budget was completed. Republicans ---- some Republicans, anyway ---- helped out, voting for a series of bills designed to cut away about $14 billion of the state's monstrous $26.6 billion deficit.

Who would have thought the easy part would be cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from our colleges and universities, shifting prisoners to county jails and slashing funds for Medi-Cal patients?

But to erase the rest will take an extension of existing tax rates (or absent, that, significant additional cuts). That requires two things: acquiescence by enough legislative Republicans to put the extension on the June ballot (it takes a two-thirds vote of the Legislature) and a willingness of California voters to keeping current tax rates. ...

Before that happens, the Brown administration needs to spell out, clearly and in the most unvarnished terms possible, what will happen if legislative Republicans remain united in their opposition to letting state voters have a voice.

---- The Record (Stockton), March 23


http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_2e12e72e-6c2b-524d-9a58-b4bd4abf1dff.html

Friday, March 25, 2011

Why is Peter York, publisher of the North County Times so afraid of the truth?

Why is truth so scary for Peter York, the publisher of the North County Times? Twice now he has had his editorial staff lackeys write a blatantly false fact in an editorial. Twice.

What is that fact that Peter York is so afraid of? The fact that Governor Brown has NOT called for a tax extension and certainly has NOT called for a tax increase.

Brown has ASKED only for a VOTE of the PEOPLE on whether THE PEOPLE of the state want to cut all 26 billion in one year, the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, or to cut only half that much the difference made up by a LIMITED TIME tax extension of existing taxes.

Yet York has is editorial staff falsely write, “…the governor's call for $14 billion of tax extensions (or hikes, depending on which side is talking).”
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_085e4966-dc22-5043-ae65-aa3ab812aed9.html

This is the second editorial in which Peter York has falsely said that Jerry Brown is calling for a tax hike.http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html

All Brown is asking for is A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. Why are Peter York and his Sacramento Republican friends so afraid of the concept of the people deciding, not politicians?

We, the people, should be given the choice between having mentally challenged on the streets in the DOOMSDAY BUDGET or in group homes under the tax extension. We, the people, should be able to decide whether we want our K-12 children in school for a full school year or have that year cut another four to five weeks in the 2011-2012 school “year” (in addition to the one week already lost this school “year.”)

And this is no “kabuki dance”. This will happen. The November ballot initiative idea is probably illegal under recently passed Prop 26. The initiative must get on the June ballot BEFORE the next fiscal year starts for the state on July 1st.


It takes four Sacramento Republican votes to get the issue on the June ballot giving the people the power to make the decision for ourselves. Every single Sacramento Republican has said "No, you people can't vote. We have a fidelity oath to Washington DC lobbyist Grover Norquist and his unlimited pot of campaign money that is more important than giving you the right to vote. We will decide the issue for you." And they are deciding. Without a vote, the only choice is an all cuts, DOOMSDAY BUDGET--with 26 billion in cuts all in one year.

If you want the right to vote on this issue, please contact our four local Sacramento Republicans today.

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Teachers in San Marcos at impasse, not for a raise, just for a smaller pay cut

The most interesting line from the article about the contract talks impasse in San Marcos:

"the district refused to move off of an 11.26 percent total salary reduction for 2011-2012 school year"

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/article_2d01b11e-c4b6-5ffb-af8b-fd6e430289f2.html

Welcome to North County Times and FOXnotNews America! Where the middle class has to grovel and beg just to keep their salaries from dropping through the floor.

Are the "evil" (by NCTIMES and FOX standards)unionized teachers demanding a pay raise? No, just that their pay be cut a little bit less. It's the new Robbercon dark, Dickinsonian vision of America where Oliver is the American teacher, "Please sir, may I have enough to buy food for my family?"

Meanwhile our local Sacramento Republicans are staying true to their oath of absolute fidelity to Washington DC lobbyist, Grover "King" Norquist (and his massive pot of campaign money) who has demanded that they impose the DOOMSDAY Budget on California schools WITHOUT ALLOWING A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE!

The DOOMSDAY BUDGET will shorten our next school year by an additional four to five weeks.

Shouldn't the voters of California have a choice about whether they want DOOMSDAY or a tax extension of our EXISTING TAXES not forever, but just for five years? Sacramento Republicans say no!

Sadly due to Prop 26 passed in November the Sacramento Republican minority has the one third vote necessary to deny us our right to vote. To get the right to vote, WE THE PEOPLE need just FOUR Sacramento Republicans. So far NOT ONE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN HAS AGREED TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO A VOTE!!! The Sacramento Republicans have been celebrating their victory over school children for the last week now.

Perhaps if Sacramento Republicans would ALLOW A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE then THE PEOPLE, NOT SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS might chose to vote for the tax extensions in June, or not. However if the people vote for the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, then at least when the San Marcos teachers start losing their homes next year and San Marcos children are on the streets instead of in schools, we would all know that it was the will of the people.

Here are our four local Sacramento Republicans who all have arrogantly refused to give the people of the state the right to vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET because their "King" Norquist as so commanded them.

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Read more about the "we know better than you" Sacramento Republicans in this excellent LATimes piece:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column

Here is a parent group website same topic
http://www.educateourstate.org/

Read more about "King" Norquist here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-parker/why-grover-norquist-is-th_b_833169.html
find out why the estate tax is just like the Holocaust from the lips of King Norquist here:
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1008-07.htm

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Shari Crall You Get What You Pay For from North County Times

When we are contently assailed with lies and half truths about the evils of government workers, public school teachers, custodians, police, and fire fighters, it is nice to see some sanity once in a while. Believe it or not I found today's sanity on the editorial pages of the North County Times!

Weird two days in a row, our local CON propaganda outlet had something that wasn't hateful or inaccurate. No banner headline running down of unions or the middle class they created. No fooled by FOXnotNews type slime as their lead editorial.

No today the North County Times placed a well written, rational forum piece about the importance and VALUE of government work on their editorial page.

FORUM: In this democracy, you get what you pay for

By Shari Crall North County Times - The Californian Sunday, March 20, 2011 12:00 am |

I'm a wannabe. A wannabe government worker, that is. Not to get some great pension or benefits. Not to put my hand in every American's wallet. I'm a wannabe government worker because I believe many things are done better collectively than individually, and that some functions mandate an application of authority.

For instance, I don't have the interest or ability to check whether other drivers on the road have licenses or that their cars don't pollute or that my food is safe or the road is paved and in good repair, etc. These are functions I am willing to pay for, together with you, because I get benefit back.

Because of the American government, we have a stable political climate, currency system, judiciary, and even a bailed-out banking system, so I can conduct business in a relatively safe environment. Government offices process title claims, business sales and myriad other small tasks that give me a life that runs smoothly and enables me to focus on what I want to focus on: my family and furthering my education

I am throwing back to the '70s with all this complaining about the cost of government ---- "love it or leave it." We take too much for granted. Go ahead, move somewhere without government to work through all this minutiae for you. Try getting a land deed in Haiti, pre-earthquake even, or Somalia, or put your money in a bank in beautiful Greece.

There was a time when America was proud of its genius in embracing Locke and Rousseau's social contract, the idea that societies flourish when they communally accomplish the busy work. I pay a percentage of my income for that, and what I get back are smooth pathways, emergency responses, a society invested in education and the potential of individuals.

As a nation, we seem to feel entitled to government services we don't want to pay for.
When a parolee murders a beautiful young woman, we scream, "Where was the government?"
When a hurricane devastates, we yell, "Where is the government?"

When potholes go unfilled, we demand, "Where is the government?"

I'll tell you where: laid off, on furlough or working through high case loads. We sound like spoiled clients miffed that we are not getting five-star service from a budget motel.

The move to see ourselves as only government customers, not citizens, belies reality.

Government is not a service industry and we are not the served. Rather, we are the other partner in the contract, the other provider. What we don't contract with our partner to do, we need to do ourselves. We turn over certain rights and responsibilities to the collective because we want to free ourselves from the attending restraints.


The American way is not magic, and it is not free. I am willing to pay my fair share.
SHARI CRALL is a resident of Temecula. Her birthday is Tax Day.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Pigs fly! Snow in Hell! North County Times criticizes Sacramento Republicans!

Yes that was a flock of pigs you saw fly by your house this morning and yes,
those news reports of a blizzard in Sheol are true!

Unbelievable! The right wing, reliably pro-billionaire bully agenda, and always anti-union, anti-middle class, anti-science North County Times editorial staff has chosen to criticize Sacramento Republicans for refusing to allow the people a vote on the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. Wow!

Perhaps there is trouble in fool's paradise among the mean spirited Sacramento Republican minority that has been celebrating their power to impose the DOOMSDAY BUDGET on all of us without a vote. It seems they may have started that celebration a bit too soon if even the the most rabid of their network of media mouthpieces, the North County Times, re-prints an editorial critical of their actions.

Yes, I said RE-print. I know I know it is not like the Peter York, the publisher and his crew of "yes men" editorial writers, were brave enough to write the editorial themselves. But hey, they did re-print one. That is a first positive step towards their growth towards becoming fair minded adult editors.

So I celebrate their change to side of goodness and light. Let's give the voters a chance to decide whether or not the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, with four to five fewer weeks of school, will be imposed on our school children.

Our four local Sacramento Republicans are still ALL thumbing their noses at the people of the state of California. They all say, "NO you can't" when asked to allow us to vote. They have also all said that their pledge of fidelity and allegiance to out-of-state, Washington lobbyist, Grover Norquist, is more important than representing the voting citizens of their districts.

Grover tells California voters,"no vote for you". Our foolish four local Sac. Repubs. echo him and repeat, "No vote for you" They never seem to forget their blood oath of absolute loyalty to His Royal Majesty, King Norquist and the massive amount of campaign money he controls.

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Here is the RE-printed excellent editorial in the North County Times today.

Message to California legislators, especially Republicans: Let the people decide.

As we move close to a deadline to get a tax extension measure on a June 7 ballot, the Legislature met Wednesday in an attempt to push though Gov. Jerry Brown's austere budget plan that attempts to close a nearly $27 billion deficit with spending cuts and by extending a series of tax measures.

Brown, however, has been unable so far to secure the two Republican votes he needs to get the five-year tax extensions onto the June ballot.

But a statewide Field Poll released this week shows voters support Brown's budget proposal ---- including the tax extensions.

While it's getting late to make a June 7 ballot, just getting the extensions to voters that month still would be better than the alternative. Some Democrats are urging Brown to give up on the idea of a special election and just extend the taxes with the few Republican votes he'd need in the Legislature.

Voters want the chance to make the final call ---- 61 percent said they want a special election on taxes to solve the budget rather than have the Legislature decide on its own.

Guess they don't trust their elected representatives to make the right decisions on the budget. Based on the record, why should they?

---- Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 17


http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_d270fba1-c5b2-54e7-88ee-8a821346a65d.html

Thursday, March 17, 2011

North County Weighs in on the DOOMSDAY budget

The anti-union, anti-middle class North County Times continues to support the agenda of the billionaire bullies who despise the middle class and poor and government services that help the middle class and poor.

The NCTimes have a brief editorial about the upcoming DOOMSDAY budget that Sacramento Republicans are forcing on the people of the state without allowing us to vote whether we want it or not. But do the they condemn the Sacramento Republicans? Do they urge them to give us a chance to vote? No and No. All they do is condemn, Governor Brown.

Under the Brown POSSIBLE budget IF our existing taxes are extended, there are still 12 billion dollars worth of cuts. Not enough for the North County Times apparently. Sad, to think that it is the last 'news' paper in our North County. How I miss the real newspapers we used to have--the Times Advocate and the Vista Press!

As you may recall the DOOMSDAY BUDGET goes into place unless, the people of the state can vote to extend their existing taxes for five more years--NOT FOREVER--just five more years. The Sacramento Republicans say, "No you can't vote. We want a DOOMSDAY BUDGET. You voters were stupid enough to pass Prop 26 last November. That gave us the power to impose a DOOMSDAY BUDGET on you. So nanny nanny, we win, you lose ha ha."

Read the North County Times editorial at the URL listed below or better read the EXCELLENT editorial by Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times, that URL is found at the end of this post.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_76ea605a-f5f5-5a84-9abc-e66a8761c948.html

Even the LATimes, run by the right wing Chicago Tribune cons, seems to understand the petty cruelty and meanness of the Sacramento Republicans who are demanding a DOOMSDAY all cuts budget. Thanks to Prop 26 passed last November, this tiny cruel, remnant of a once mighty political party, now have the power to cut all California public schools academic year by up to five weeks in 2011-2012, next year.

All the people of the state are asking is a chance to decide whether we want to EXTEND not raise taxes in order to have a full length school year.

No one is asking to impose a new tax. All we want is the right to vote on EXTENDING EXISTING taxes or not. Then we the people decide the fate of the schools, not Sacramento Republicans.

The tone deaf Sacramento Republicans are sitting around in their caucus chuckling like satisfied hens by their power to lay the rotten egg of a greatly shortened academic school year. All because they do not want to let us vote. If we vote we might not chose to shorten the year but to just extend our taxes instead. Why is that so bad?

Here is what Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times said in his column today:

"There are no easy answers or pretty outcomes. As we all know, students included, everyone has to make sacrifices."

"But during tough times, even GOP hero Ronald Reagan and rock-solid conservative Gov. Pete Wilson temporarily raised taxes along with making tough cuts. Today, California's Republican legislators have so far refused to support Gov. Brown's plan to let voters decide whether they want to go that same route: to balance the budget half with cuts and half by temporarily extending tax increases."

"Nor have the Republicans explained how they'd whack $26 billion without putting more teachers out of work and destroying schools in their own districts. And where, by the way, are the parents in those districts? Are they going to watch in silence as their kids get hammered?"

At Hamilton, booster club president Chris Kenemuth told me she's a Republican who doesn't mind paying taxes to save great programs. She's been trying to contact Republican legislators to let them know how she feels, but they're not responding."

"Of course not. What can they say that doesn't shame them further? And how would they explain who wins when you fire teachers and demoralize students; when you take something that works and destroy it?"

Read the rest of his excellent column here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/me-la-0316-lopez-savinghamilton-20110315,0,4197792.column

If you want to try to get our local Sacramento Republicans off their mean spirited duffs, try calling them:

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Friday, March 11, 2011

Our old friend VWdog tells the truth, a half truth and a whooper: Instead of new schools being built,existing schools in VUSD could have been expanded

VWdog, who is nearly the last ANTI public education foe still posting at the North County Times, has published another post with a mixture of truth, half truths and falsehoods.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_83dcab61-5552-5f31-b53b-4418b263e408.html?mode=comments

I believe his Whooper is the most important part of his post to be addressed. That whooper alleges that VUSD could simply have expanded existing schools and did not need to pass a bond to build new schools.

Because he has posted this same Big Lie on many other occasions it appears to be a part of the mythology of lies that our ANTI friends are using among themselves and are telling to others. We must be ready to counter their Big Lie with what truly happened here.

In the 1980's and 1990's, our school district had three bond failures. The result of those failures was that our district schools became among the most crowded in the state based on student density per acre of campus. Every VUSD school parking lot and every school play ground was filled with trailers used as classrooms because the stick and mortar classrooms were already full. Still there was not enough space for our students.

The VUSD School Board had only two options to deal with our SEVERELY overcrowded schools either Year Round School or double sessions. Our board chose YRE.

Only after the fourth bond was successful were we able to end YRE.

There is absolutely no truth to VWdog and our other ANTI friends claim that we did not need to pass a bond, even Jim Gibson saw the need to build new schools. He voted to put our fourth and final bond (Prop O) on the ballot. The residents of this district saw the need for new schools. They passed the bond by more than two thirds in 2002. Our community and even our most 'conservative' school board member both saw the need for a school bond to build new schools in 2002.

Below is more of my response to VWdog this morning.

THE TRUTH in VWdog's post: "The City is a TOTALLY different entity all together" (from the school district).

Yes, that is true. The City of Vista and Vista Unified School District are completely separate government entities. They have different funding sources, different boundaries, and different founding dates. VUSD is far older having been started in the 1930's. The City of Vista is much more recent having been incorporated in 1963. VUSD boundaries encompass a far larger area than the City of Vista. In fact VUSD includes about one third of the eastern half of the City of Oceanside. Very confusing to folks who live their and vote for Oceanside City Council members, but Vista Unified School District Board members. They do not vote for Oceanside School District board members at all.

THE HALF TRUTH: "the (school district has) authority to pass bonds to build new schools and to tax the local citizens within their District to pay for those bonds"

VUSD school board members have the power to call for a bond election to raise money to build schools or a parcel tax to pay for other district expenses. Only the residents of VUSD have the ability to pass that bond or parcel tax. Up until recently (2002?) both a school bond and a parcel tax required a 2/3rds majority to pass. Now only the parcel tax still requires a two thirds vote, a bond can pass if at least four of five board members put it on the ballot and it gets 55% of the vote.

THE BLATANT: "they built a bunch of new schools rather than enlarging existing schools"

VWdog has pushed this deception before. He is well aware that every school in our district was enlarged to its maximum. the parking lots and playgrounds were covered in temporary trailers to house students after the first of the school boards four bond attempts failed to get two thirds. Finally with two more failures there was no room left on any campus to put more trailers yet VUSD had too many students for its classrooms. The boards only two choices were double sessions or Year Round School. YRE is like "hot bunking" by sailors in submarines. Not enough bunks means when one sailor awakes for duty another climbs into his bunk. Same concept for YRE. Students went to school two months had one month off. During their month off the next "track" of students came into those classrooms. Some students had to change classrooms each month they were in school. There were roving teachers who went from classroom to classroom during the day using classrooms for their own students during a time a different teacher in the classroom had a prep period.

VUSD was among the most overcrowded school districts in the state. Finally in 2002 the voters passed a school bond with 2/3rds vote. Schools were built. YRE ended. Every thing was rosy except the Great Recession hit. The Great Recession has lowered ADA in districts across the state including VUSD and the Oceanside district.

VWdog claims he knew this in advance. I wish he had told the rest of us. Then we all could have gotten rich selling short on the stock market.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The LIE at the center of the Wisconsin attack

Below is a quote form middle class champion, Erin Hill

"Last night, Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) revealed the lie at the heart of his drive to ruin working families in Wisconsin. After insisting for weeks that union-busting was necessary to balance the state budget, Republicans in the legislature declared that it had no impact on the budget and passed the measure in a five minute meeting with no advance notice and no Democrats present.

Now we know what this struggle is really about: ruining Democrats. Working families are just collateral damage in Walker's power play."

Scott. Fitzgerald leader of the Wisconsin State Senate Republicans said with a grin on his face to FOXnotNews today that by succeeding in stripping union rights from state and local workers in Wisconsin means"Barack Obama will have a much harder time winning Wisconsin in the 2012 election."

That is what this is all about. It is a nationwide campaign funded by climate science deniers and union-hating billionaire bullies, Charles and David Koch to destroy any organized opposition to their goal of reducing worker wages and increasing profits for the filthy rich. Charles and David Koch are the FIFTH richest Americans but its not enough for them.

If you remain silent the Billionaire Bullies will win, please consider helping the Wisconsin heroes recall eight Wisconsin state senators.

The Billionaire Bullies Club has very powerful members in addition to the Koch brothers. Another is Rupert Murdoch who runs the anti middle class anti union FOXnotNews propaganda network. Fox, fooled you again, fake news has had a powerful impact on the uniformed in this country. We know from past experience that FOXnotNews"news" will lead every hour with blatantly false attacks on the Wisconsin recall attempts. We know that because they have run 24/7 lies about our brave Wisconsin heroes for the last four weeks.

Read a summary of FOX lies and see footage of palm trees supposedly in Wisconsin presented by FOXnotNews to twist the truth about our brave Wisconsin heroes. The FOX hired gun liars just make up stuff and present it as true to their CONfused viewers.

http://campusprogress.org/articles/fox_news_lies_about_violent_protests_in_wisconsin/

See a website financed by the billionaire bullies attacking Wisconsin teachers here:
http://slapblog.com/?p=10554

With billionaire bullies opposed to the Great Wisconsin Recall and a nationwide propaganda machine opposed to them, our Wisconsin heroes need every single dollar we can contribute to them. Read more about the Recall and how to help here:
http://www.americablog.com/2011/03/wisconsin-recall-efforts-just-got.html

Today is the DEADLINE for DOOMSDAY. No four Republican votes, DOOMSDAY comes.

Today is the last day to qualify the initiative allowing a vote of the people in June on whether they want a tax extension or the DOOMSDAY BUDGET.

AT least four Sacramento Republican votes are required for the tax extension question to be put on the ballot. If there are less than four Republican in favor of the public's right to vote than the DOOMSDAY will be enacted. There is no alternative.

Every single member of our California State Legislature who is NOT a Republican is in favor of giving voters the choice of picking a tax extension or enacting the DOOMSDAY BUDGET. However NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN is willing to let the public vote, NOT ONE!

If you want the right to vote, you best chance is to convince our locally elected Sacramento Republicans. Call them right now. Tell them you want the right to vote.

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Why doesn't Jim Gibson complain about Sacramanto Republicans refusal to allow us to vote to stop DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS?

If Jim Gibson really cared about getting more money for our VUSD children’s education then today's Forum would be directed at the Sacramento Republicans. They are the ones denying us the right to vote to stop DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS.

To prevent DOOMSDAY, we the people, would have to vote in June to extend existing taxes. Prop 26 passed last November requires four Sacramento Republicans to allow us the vote. Every single NON-Republican is in favor of us giving us the right to vote. NOT ONE SINGLE SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN AGREES TO LET, WE, THE PEOPLE VOTE.

These DOOMSDAY CUTS will necessitate an additional four to five weeks cut from children’s school year in addition to the one week already lost this school year. Under the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS, all California public school children will have their school “year” reduced to as little as 150 days of schooling next school year.

Do you want that? Does Jim Gibson want that? If not why didn’t he write a Forum demanding that our locally elected Sacramento Republicans give us a right to vote on whether we want DOOMSDAY CUTS or not?

The deadline for getting the four Sacramento Republicans on board is tomorrow, March 10th. If the deadline passes, you will not be able to vote to extend our current taxes to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS. Wouldn’t you like a chance to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson want you to be able to vote? Shouldn’t Jim Gibson, as a school board member, want to prevent four to five weeks being cut from the school year? Why isn’t that looming disaster his number one priority?

If you want a chance to vote on the decision to have a chance to vote to prevent the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, you must contact our locally elected Sacramento Republicans today.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90

Jan O'Reilly was paid for doing no work--ANTIs charge

Here is the latest attack on our FACT based public schools in Vista by our ANTI public education friends:

The Sky Is Falling said on: March 9, 2011, 8:05 am
Oh con no more you know Jan O'Reilly was paid for not actually working and they most certainly owe the VUSB(sic) and the students a hefty amount of cash.

One wonders why thou protests so loudly?

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=comments

In regards to that post by "The Sky Is Falling" on March 9, 2011 at 8:05 am:

Not only was the former VTA president paid for working, she had to turn in a time sheet to the district documenting her daily work schedule down to the minute. No time sheet, no pay.

You should also know that the VTA office where she worked was used on a number of occasion by the school district to conduct school district not VTA business. The VTA charged no fee to the district for this service. This service was of substantial benefit to the district as there are often no venues to meet available at the district office. So having access to the large room at the VTA office just down the street was extremely convenient for district administration. It saved money by not having to rent a room at an outside location--just one more service the VTA provided GRATIS for our school district.

By the way, at no time did Jan O'Reilly or any other VTA president work on political matters either during duty hours or after. All election and other political work was done by the Political Action Committee of which the president was not allowed to be a member by VTA bylaws.

The nature of most of the work of a VTA president is about trying to resolve contract disputes and employee discipline issues without costly legal proceeding, also saving the district money.

Of course a VTA president's work is not the issue here. The issue is Jim Gibson claim that the fine teachers of VUSD owe money to our school district. That claim is false. That claim is the issue, not the VTA president's work day.

Great ears you have if you can hear me protesting "so loudly" through the internet. By the way the Shakespeare quote you mangled is from Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2 "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

Jim Gibson climbs on his high horse again

Jimmy is back!!! The North County Times has provided him space for our very own backwards land school board member, Jim Gibson, to spin his yarns again. This time in an opinion piece labeled, "FORUM: Vista Teachers Association should pay back students"

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/article_cb64a697-4aa2-596c-b27e-80cff96e00d9.html?mode=story

The Vista Teachers owe no money to Vista Unified School District. Nothing, nada, zilch. And Jim Gibson knows that. He is just grandstanding for political attention again.

Remember his Carrie Prejean Day?
Remember when he urged our district to support Prop 8 that had nothing to do with Vista Education?
Remember when he ran for Diane Harkey's state assembly seat? Or when he ran for Oceanside City Council?

Look at any article by the North County Times about Vista Unified in the last ten years, he has more than five times as many newspaper quotes as any other single VUSD trustee and almost twice as many as the other four combined. Why his he so determined to get his name in the paper?

The issue that Gibson is referring to today is a provision in the teacher's contract that was agreed to by our Vista Unified School District school board and nearly one hundred other large school districts school boards across our state--a release time president.

For VUSD, there was no additional cost to the district for agreeing to a release time president. With the president in the classroom or out of it, the payroll was the same. The only additional cost was the cost of the replacement teacher. The VTA paid MORE than that cost.

What Jim Gibson wants is for the VTA to subsidize VUSD for an additional amount. Every teacher in the district would have to pay a special tax. That is not fair. I am sure the courts will agree with me, what Gibson wants is not fair. It is not fair here or in any of the nearly hundred other California districts that have a similar agreement with their teacher's associations.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Thanks Tania Bowman, Peter Principe, and Robert Bosak for three great letters to editor. GO UNIONS!

The following three fine letters to the editor were found in today's North County Times--the most anti union newspaper in our county. Congrats to all three brave defenders of unions and the American middle class.

Teachers aren't to blame for policies of administrators

When the auto industry was told to change its ways, they consequently resurfaced successfully. Although they got union concessions, it wasn't the line worker who needed to change — they simply built what they were told to build.

In the very same way, teachers should not be blamed for the decisions that administrators and school boards make. Teachers are the line workers in education, and for years, they have been told what and how to teach. If you want educational reform, hold those who have the power accountable for the decisions they make — the administrators and the school boards.

The issue is not the unions, the issue is: Who should you hold responsible for failing policies — the teachers who implement or the administrators and the boards who dictate those policies?

Tania Bowman
Escondido

TV folks blasting unions also belong to them

So now union teachers are the reason for our country's economic woes. Seems like a year or so ago, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and gang were telling us union autoworkers were to blame for killing the American auto industry. Management shared none of the blame. Nope, according to Fox and others on the ignorant right, it was the fault of union autoworkers. Now it's the fault of union teachers.

Do members of the ignorant right know, when they watch/listen to O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter or others on conservative radio/TV, that they are listening to a happy union member (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)? The talking heads and the people who do their hair/makeup, operate cameras, control sound/lights, write scripts, build sets, brew coffee and clean Glenn Beck's chalkboard are all enjoying the benefits of belonging to a union.

So the message that conservative TV/radio wants us to know is that while belonging to a union is very good for them, it's very bad for the rest of us. More hypocrisy from the ingorant right.

So remember to look for the union label while listening to your favorite conservative talking head.

Peter Principe
San Marcos

Tired of union slamming

I'm so tired of hearing all this union slamming, and quite frankly, it's scary. I agree there is room for reform, but if you believe unions are no longer necessary, you are greatly mistaken.

Just look at corporate America's recent history, and it doesn't take a genius long to realize greed is their motivation. So if you believe that without union protection, corporate America will treat you fairly, you're a bigger idiot than I thought.

Without labor's collective bargaining ability, middle-class America would soon disappear. Wake up, America, before it's too late.

Robert Bosak
San Marcos

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters/article_bf4bc4e3-5b52-5268-a9bf-20656a73f31f.html

DOOMSDAY BUDGET WIIL HAPPEN, 15 to 18% SALARY CUTS starting in July!

Governor Jerry Brown announced yesterday that he cannot find enough Republican votes in Sacramento to allow California taxpayers the right to vote to extend our current taxes in order to avoid the absolutely devastating DOOMSDAY BUDGET SCENARIO if we don't. Now there will be no vote in June on extending taxes. No vote. No vote. No vote. No choice. DOOMSDAY will be enacted.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20110308,0,877221.story


Governor Brown has done everything possible to give Sacramento Republicans political cover to vote to allow, we, the people, to decide whether or not we want tax extensions and severe cuts or the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS. Giving the people the right to decide has been endorsed by many CALIFORNIA business groups who in former times had substantial influence on our Sacramento Republicans, but no more. What Californias think or California business want is no longer the driving force in Sacramento politics.

Here is what the SFChronicle said about Jerry Brown’s successful work with our business community,

“With its support, the San Francisco Chamber joins the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Area Council, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA), the California Association of Independent Business (CAIB), and the Central City Association of Los Angeles in supporting Brown's call for a special election. The governor has said it will allow California voters to weigh in on his proposal for $12 billion in budget cuts and five years of tax extensions to help erase the state's $26 billion in red ink.”

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=84508#ixzz1G1Sw3oTU

Our CALIFORNIA business community no longer has much influence with Sacramento Republicans. They are now controlled by OUT OF STATE interests. Sacramento Republicans caved to the pressure of, international oil barons, the Koch brothers and their machine. The Koch brothers are among the top twenty wealthiest people in the world, but they are kooks. They do not believe in government. They have unlimited wealth to "convince" hired guns "opinion makers" on FOXnotNews and on the AM radio airwaves to propagate their tin foil hat conspiracy theories.

Read more about the Koch brothers attack on America and American values of truth honesty and fairness here:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer

Cuts limited to severe could only happen if a proposal for existing taxes to be extended were allowed on the June ballot and it passed. Sacramento Republicans say no, they will not even allow it on the June ballot. They have taken your right to vote away from you.

Thanks to the passage of Prop 26 last fall, all legal opinions obtained by the Governor have indicated that it now takes a 2/3rds majority of BOTH houses in Sacramento to put any measure on the ballot that would increase state revenues. Those legal opinions mean that four Republican votes are absolutely necessary to get to the two thirds majority in BOTH houses--the California State Assembly AND the California State Senate.

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/11/03/03greenwire-califs-little-noticed-prop-26-squeaks-through-59912.html

Every single Sacramento Republican has refused to give you the right to have that vote and to make that decision. No Republican dares vote his or her conscience which might be appalled at the cuts to school kids, the poor, the elderly and sick in the DOOMSDAY BUDGET.

The billionaire bullies, aka Koch brothers, financed OUT OF STATE, WASHINGTON lobbyist, Grover Norquist who heads Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist has threatened every Sacramento Republican. With the Koch brothers backing, Norquist has unlimited money to end the political career of any Sacramento Republican who votes to allow, YOU, the taxpayer to decide the fate of our neighbors who happen to be poor, sick, elderly or school kids. Because of Sacramento Republican cowardice the choice has been taken out of your hands. You will not be able to vote.

Without the vote, ONLY a DOOMSDAY BUDGET can be enacted. There is no alternative. Read more:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/04/BASQ1I2M6L.DTL


Hired gun Con man radio, particularly KFI Am 640 afternoon drive, John and Ken are the enforcers behind the drive to stop the vote. John and Ken want to keep their multi-million dollar a year contracts so they support the agenda of those who place ads during their radio "show".

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/04/BASQ1I2M6L.DTL

John and Ken control the actions and votes of hundreds of thousands of CONfused folks who are given no other information except billionaire bully propaganda hour after hour day after day on John and Ken's radio show. Because several key Sacramento Republicans have districts located in the broadcast area of KFI, the broadcast distortions and deception of John and Ken have unique power in our state to stop Republicans with a conscience from giving you the right to vote.

Thanks to the Koch brothers money, John and Ken propaganda and Sacramento Republicans cowardice, the Doomsday budget cuts will be enacted.

Under the DOOMSDAY BUDGET every public school district and every public charter school will be reducing the 2011-2012 school year by an additional four to five weeks on top of the week lost this school year. This will result in an additional 15 to 18% pay cut for every employee of every school district in the state on top of the 6 to 7% cut they took this year.

The unions need to go to the source of power for the con men scam that will give us a doomsday budget--shut down the con men on AM radio. Blockade the radio station parking lots and front doors with protesters until we the majority are allowed on the air with the MAJORITY VIEW.

Today there is ONLY ONE viewpoint heard on our PUBLIC AIRWAYS. The view of the billionaire bullies who place the ads where only their view point is heard. The Koch brothers and other billionaire bullies are determined to eliminate all middle class wages and benefits by eliminating all unions. They have been remarkably successful in their thirty year scorched earth campaign against unions.

However, we, THE PEOPLE, own the PUBLIC airwaves. We must take them back. We must stop the lies. Let's take action today against the hired gun AM con men.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Jerry Brown tries to stop DOOMSDAY BUDGET, gains political cover for Sacramento Repubs

Governor Jerry Brown is doing all that he can to find four Republicans that will allow you the voter to decide whether there will just be dramatic and drastic cuts to public education or whether there will be DOOMSDAY CUTS that the Sacramento Republicans are demanding.

Under the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS public schools throughout California will have to fire hundreds of thousands of teachers and raise class sizes from the mid thirties to mid forties or fifties students per classroom teacher per hour of the day.

But that is not the worst. It looks like DOOMSDAY demanded by Sacramento Republicans will cut one full month off the school year and cut the pay of every non RIF-ed teacher by an additional at least ten percent on top of this years salary cuts of 4 to 6%. (RIF means Reduction In Force, it is the term given to teachers fired because of budget cuts)

Making 50K a year as a teacher this year? Next year, under the DOOMSDAY scenario, you will make less than 45K before taxes plus you will also have more cost for medical and dental plans. Thank an elected Sacramento Republican the next time you see one. Better call one right now. The previous post on this blog has a list of our four locally elected, evil Sacramento Republicans plus their phone numbers.

(NOTE: Not all Republicans are evil monsters who care nothing for sick, elderly, or school children. I am a registered Republican, but Republicans like me have no voice in our party now that hired gun radio con men and FOX News runs the agenda for our party.)

Jerry Brown is trying his best to stop the DOOMSDAY scenario from playing out, but because of our archaic 2/3rds state requirement for ballot measures, he will need four Sacramento Republicans to vote in favor of the tax extension initiative being allowed on the June ballot for a vote of the people. If the initiative does get on the June ballot and it passes, it will stop DOOMSDAY.

But it probably won't get on the ballot because our Sacramento Republicans are afraid of the state voters. They are so afraid that they are refusing to let the initiative on the ballot in June. If they succeed in keeping the initiative off the ballot, then DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS will come automatically starting July 1st, 2011. That's right. Four months from now is DOOMSDAY if Sacramento Republicans get their way.

Read what Governor Brown is doing to stop DOOMSDAY in this SF Chronicle article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F03%2F04%2FBALQ1I4G2C.DTL

Notice that the Anti-Union North County Times has printed NO MENTION of looming danger of DOOMSDAY CUTS. The paper rants about public pensions with front page headlines. Day after day they blame teachers, fireman and police for the Great Recession that caused the state budget deficit.

The Great Recession as every informed person knows was really caused by New York fat cat Bankers who gamed our financial system with derivatives created under Bush era deregulation scam. But not only does our North County Times improperly blame dedicated public servants for budget shortfalls caused by the Great Recession, the paper doesn't even mention our locally elected Sacramento Republicans laughing and celebrating at their ability to force a DOOMSDAY SCENARIO on our state's children, NOT ONE WORD!

Any where else in the state and any other time in history, newspapers would have covered the danger of DOOMSDAY on the front page. Not today, and not the North County Times.

Thank goodness for Jerry Brown's success in getting the business community behind allowing the voters to decide. Now if the Sacramento Republicans would listen to their biggest campaign contributors, we will get to vote as a people on whether we truly want DOOMSDAY. We will see allow us to vote or force DOOMSDAY on us all.

DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS COMING, because Sacramento Republicans still say, "You can't vote."

An article in the North County times today details the massive cuts to Poway schools under the Governor's proposed budget which will take 6 million from Poway schools if and only if the tax extension proposition passes this June. However, that proposition still has not qualified; so we may not even have a chance to vote on this tax extension proposition that will limit the cuts in Poway to ONLY six million. Our local elected Republicans want cuts to Poway schools of 17 million!

Of course the Governor and rationals in the State Legislature don't want to make even these drastic six million dollar cuts required by the states income problem. However, it would take four Sacramento Republicans to agree to a tax hike of any kind for these 6 million dollar cuts not to be made. Sacramento elected Republicans have said, "No, no, no and Hell No!" to any revenue enhancements to the current state budget.

There are not even four who are willing to add a Sarah Palin gas extraction tax on the international oil companies who pay nothing to extract the limited resource that is our underground California oil. That one tax at the same rate that Sarah Palin signed into law as half term governor of Alaska would raise more than a billion dollars and prevent most education cuts.

Yet stopping that tax and all other taxes or revenue enhancements, is not enough for Sacramento Republican bullies. They are demanding the DOOMSDAY BUDGET which would cut nearly three times as much from local school districts--for Poway that is 17 million dollars instead of six million.

Here is the North County Times article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/poway/article_bcbb51e7-440a-5e55-a827-111c3a7b6b86.html

The DOOMSDAY BUDGET cuts will be far higher than Governor Brown's proposed budget cuts because Sacramento Republicans are preventing the June initiative to extend our existing taxes for five more years.

Our local Sacramento Republicans don't want you to have the right to vote on whether or not you want the DOOMSDAY BUDGET CUTS (17 million dollars just for Poway) versus the drastic six million Poway will lose in Governor Brown's current budget proposal.

The Sacramento Republicans are afraid you will vote for the tax extensions in June that will stop the DOOMSDAY BUDGET, so they are denying you that right to vote.

If they allowed you to vote, the cuts might be only that 6 million from Poway schools, not good enough for the Sacramento Republicans. Fact based public education in Poway might survive cuts of only six million.

Because of our archaic 2/3rds majority rules in California, rationals have to get four Sacramento Republicans to allow us to have a vote. The evil Sacramento Republicans won't budge, not even one of them wants you to have that right to vote in June.

Governor Brown has offered them concessions like reduction in business tax and still NOT ONE Sacramento Republican will vote to allow you the right to decide. They don't think you are smart enough to decide for your selves.

Brown's concessions here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20110112,0,221854.story

The deadline to put the measure on the ballot is this Wednesday, March 10th. If just four Republicans change their minds and allow a vote on or before that day, we get to decide. If not, they decide for us--the DOOMSDAY CUTS will be made--100s of thousands of teachers laid off(statewide), class sizes into the fifties, and the end of effective public school education in California.

If you think you deserve the right to a vote before these doomsday cuts have to be made, call all of the local elected Sacramento Republicans and tell them that they can’t take away your right to vote.

OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90

More info found here: http://www.educateourstate.org/

Educate our State is an organization founded and run by parents of public school children in our fine FACT based traditional public schools and public school charters.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Support Wisconsin! Fight the Attack on Middle Class Jobs and Benefits

You can help the working men and women of America win a fight against billionaire bullies and the corporations they control and use to diminish our ability to make a living.

How?

Contribute to the fight in Wisconsin.

We can stop the bullies. We can get our middle class wages and benefits back but first we must finally win a battle. It looks like we will lose to the bullies here in California. Doomsday cuts to our public schools are all but certain because the Republican bullies in Sacramento will not allow the voters a chance to vote to stop the Doomsday cuts.*

But the Wisconsin battle is being won. Let's help in that victory. Let's feel good that the billionaire bullies can at last be stopped in their decades long, relentless war on the middle class.

Go to this website to contribute:
http://www.actblue.com/page/waronworkingfamilies?refcode=DFA-2-20-4pm

*(Since it takes a 2/3rds majority in the State Senate AND in the State Assembly for the measure to go on the ballot, the tiny mean spirited Republican remnant left in the state legislature are stopping the people from voting on the cuts.

The Republicans have just barely over one third of the seats. Since no Republican ever goes against the wishes of his party bosses, the hired gun AM radio con men, all vote together as one on each and every important vote. With that lockstep in place, the Republican bullies have the votes to thwart the right of the electorate to be able to vote.

The deadline is still March 10th or no June ballot proposition to allow for tax extensions to stop the Doomsday Budget. It will take four Republican votes, so far there are none.

By the way the hired gun AM conmen who now give the marching orders to all elected Republicans have been given a monopoly of our public airwaves by billionaire bullies who target their advertisement dollars ONLY to those who say what the billionaire bullies want said.

No criticism of Rush Limbaugh is allowed on AM radio. Ever wonder why, when the most blatant lies and aspersions are launched by the tens of thousands daily at our president and at any politician who opposes the agenda of the billionaire bullies?

Listen to AM radio, see if you ever hear criticism either of Rush Limbaugh or of corporations that are bullying workers, taking away their rights or shipping jobs overseas. Now think why that is.

Do we really have a free press in this country anymore? Are all points of view allowed on our public airwaves? If not, why not? The answer is obvious.

Fight back, contribute to Wisconsin!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Whoops, I got the deadline wrong. It's March 10th.

Whoops, sorry I got the deadline wrong. It's March 10th. That's four working days, seven calendar days.
http://www.ksro.com/LocalNews/Story.aspx?ID=1371713

Voters of California must get their four Sacramento Republican votes by March 10th or it will be too late to put the tax extension proposition on the June ballot.

Months ago when I first heard there was a time limit to get cooperation to allow a vote of the people, I could not conceive that every one of our Sacramento Republicans would refuse the people their right to vote. That every Republican would force doomsday budget cuts on our state's children on top of the billions already cut.

But here we are. Days away and the moral monstrosity that has become the Sacramento Republican Party members will joyfully go through with the utter devastation and destruction of K-12 California education.

So much for any hope of a bright future for our state.

If Republicans refuse to allow a vote, how bad will the July 1st cuts be?

For a sense of how bad the cuts to education and to the ill, elderly, and poor will be if Sacramento Republicans do not allow us our chance to vote here is an excerpt from Educate Our State, a organization of parents of school aged children in California:
__________________________________________________
By Beth Chagonjian

Governor Jerry Brown is lobbying to put an extension of currently existing taxes on the ballot for voter approval. If these taxes are not extended, the Doomsday Cut List will take affect (also known as "Plan B").

What's Plan B? According to the LAO (Legislative Analyst's Office), as reported by California Watch, plan B requires an additional $13.5 billion ($13,505,000,000) in cuts to the California budget.

Make no mistake, all of these cuts are devastating to whatever faction of the public will be affected, but K-12 education would clearly bearing the brunt of pain.

The LAO's* suggested cuts include cuts to the judicial/prison system ($2.612 billion), cuts to the health and social services sector ($1.15 billion), cuts to government and local government (1.796 billion), transportation and resources ($1.65 billion) and higher education (1.056 billion), but it's the cuts to K-12 education (the largest part of the proposed cuts) that really make you gasp. Those proposed cuts are $5.239 billion (or $5,239,000,000) or 38.79% (5.239/13.505) of the entire cuts package.

http://educateourstate.posterous.com/
__________________________
If you think you have the right to a vote before these doomsday cuts have to be made, call all of our local elected Sacramento Republicans and tell them that they can’t take away your right to vote.

California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084


California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90


*The LAO is the Legislative Analyst Office a non partisan part arm of the state legislature that looks only at financial matters relating to the state budget.

Sacramento Repbulican talking points

Just got off the phone with Nathan Fletcher's office. Once I gave my Vista address, there was no interest in my message as I was out of his district. Then I told him my parents live in his district. So got to hear their talking points:

"Sure Republicans will allow the tax extension to be on the ballot as long as there is also another measure that will make even greater cuts to the state budget on the same ballot."

Gee how very nice of them. We have already had the greatest cuts in services to the poor the elderly, the sick and school children in state history. Now we are facing absolutely crippling cuts starting July 1st of this year, if we are not allowed to vote on the tax extension. So what do Sacramento Republicans say? "Let's cut even more, hee, hee, hee."

They will not allow a tax on oil extraction from California lands. Even Sarah Palin, signed one of those for Alaska. In fact the Palin tax funds the state of Alaska with enough left over to give every state resident thousands of dollars every year.

They do not want any new taxes on the idle rich whose investment income is taxed at much lower rates than your income that you earn by actually working for a living. These are the same filthy rich who have gained so much from Republican policies of tax breaks and opposite to Robin Hood philosophy they transfer wealth from the working class to those with the most money already.

Read more about how well CALIFORNIA super rich are doing here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap-pension-20110224,0,2340994,full.column


George Skelton for the Los Angeles Times writes in the above referenced piece:

The state Franchise Tax Board reports that during the two decades between 1987 and 2008:

Inflation-adjusted incomes of the top 10% of California taxpayers increased by 43%; the top 1% by 81%. Meanwhile, incomes of the lower 60% dropped by around 12%.

The income gap doubled between the top 1% and the average middle-class Californian. In 2008, the top 1% enjoyed 39 times the income of the middle class. In 1987, it was about 19 times.

None of this unfairness bothers the Sacramento Republicans. They have only one mantra that they all chant in unison: CUT! CUT CUT!

Sacramento Republicans Deny You the Right to Vote

Do you want public school teacher lay offs on a massive scale? Do you want to have class sizes double what you have today? If not, you need to do something right now, call all four of our local elected Sacramento Republicans listed at the bottom of this post immediately. In four days it will be too late. The deadline to put the tax extension vote on the June ballot will pass. The cuts will happen.

Governor Jerry Brown has asked the state legislature to allow the citizens of California to vote on whether they want to have their taxes extended at the same rate as today to stop the greatest cuts in California public education in state history. To put that measure on the ballot, two thirds of both houses must vote to allow its placement. So far every single Sacramento Republican is refusing to allow the voters to decide. They hold a bare one third of the votes enough to stop the election. Governor Brown has offered a host of concessions to Republicans to get the four votes needed to no avail.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-state-budget-20110112,0,221854.story


Read more about the cuts to our local schools here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_cef95370-697e-5a7b-ac7f-1e61ada4def6.html
and here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_2d0705f5-7494-5f05-b71d-6074a0400d33.html

As of right now, there will be NO tax extension instead there will the greatest cuts to K-12 education in our state’s history.

A tax extension requires the Sacramento Republicans to allow a vote of the people and the Sacramento Republicans are refusing. They do not trust you, the voters, to make the “right” decision.
www.educateourstate.org

For you to get a chance to vote at least two Republicans in the State Assembly and two more in the State Senate have to vote in favor of letting you have that vote.

So far NOT ONE Republican has agreed to let the voters decide.

Because of California's archaic two thirds majority rules, Republicans can and are stopping the voters from having their chance at the ballot box.

If you love the fact that up to one third of teachers in some districts will be laid off and class sizes will zoom to 50 or 60 kids in a classroom next year. Then do nothing. You will get your wish. Effective fact based public education for all intents and purposes will come to an end in California.

If you think otherwise, call all of our local elected Sacramento Republicans and tell them that they can’t take away your right to vote.

California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084


California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 or http://markwyland.com/?p=90

More things you can do from the organization LET US VOTE! Sadly the information below is more than two weeks old, it's too late to write letters.

WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP:
SEND A LETTER, SPREAD THE "LET US VOTE!" MESSAGE

Greetings from the Educate Our State Team,

Over 20,000 letters have been sent to California legislators asking them to "Let Us Vote!" To join the campaign click here.

We are still working hard to spread the "Let Us Vote!" campaign message. Two days ago we were on NBC "Class Action" with Jessica Aguirre talking about the devastating effect of the budget cuts, click here to see the video clip. There is still much to be done by the critical March 10th date. This is where we need your help!

Here are three simple ways you can have an impact on saving education funding:

1) Send a letter to your legislator or letter to the editor here

2) Cut and paste the paragraph below into an email and send it to 10 people

I recently took action with the “Let Us Vote!” campaign and I hope you will, too. Public Education funding will be cut $5 billion without a tax extension set to expire July 1st. This tax extension will only appear on the ballot if 2/3rds of the legislature votes to approve it. Presently we are four votes short of sending this critical ballot measure to the citizens of California. It’s easy and fast to send a letter to your legislators. Please visit www.educateourstate.org and click on the “Let Us Vote!” campaign. California’s 6,000,000 children say “thank you!”

3) “Share” this facebook post with your community

Let Sacramento know - Stop cutting public education funding! Give us the right to vote for our children's future. Take action with "Let Us Vote!" campaign at www.educateourstate.org.

For more information about Educate Our State, a list of our partner organizations and our efforts to unite the voices of Californians in support of K-12 public education and demand real change visit the Educate Our State website at www.educateourstate.org. Follow us on facebook, twitter, purchase a car magnet or consider a donation.

Thanks!
The Educate Our State Team
www.educateourstate.org