Music program likely to be cut again this January 2012

The elementary music program has temporarily been re-instated by VUSD school board trustees.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_03f567f3-a913-5dc1-815b-94657b480bba.html?mode=story

The music program is unlikely to survive past January when the new state projection of tax revenue income will be released. The January report will likely show that the state is not meeting the very rosy revenue projections found in last July's budget projections for this year.

Already the first month of the new budget year showed more than one half billion dollar shortfall over the July rosy scenario. This report, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifreleased in August, from the State Comptroller’s office indicates more than a 10% short fall in revenues. Push that same shortfall forward six months to January and it could easily top six billion dollars.
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/node/9248

Given the present economic condition, it is very unlikely that the January report will be anything, but awful. If that shortfall trend holds out until January, the state will be forced immediately to cut state funding to every entity that gets state funds including K-12 school district like VUSD.

At that point what the state promised in this years July 2011 budget to provide to VUSD won't matter. State promises for funds are all predicated on the state actually taking in the money needed to meet those promises.

Without expected money coming in, the state will be forced to make cuts in January to match its expenditures. This will require drastic reductions in state funds to school districts, state colleges, and health and welfare programs for elderly disabled and ill. State expenditures must match income, as required by law.

This coming January cut will also have TWICE the impact because at that point in time, the state will have already supplied money (at least ten percent too much) for the first six months of the budget year to K-12 school districts, etc. That previous July-January funding will have been based on the state tax income coming in at the predicted level which we already know it will not. Since the tax revenues will likely not come in the state will have spent "too much" for that first six months.

So in January 2012, the cuts for the last six months of the budget year (January to June) must be double. The state must make up for the too much money already given out PLUS reduce the amount it had planned to spend for the next six months. That means DOUBLE the impact on school districts for the last six months of the school year.

To match local VUSD spending to these likely massive January cuts, look for the elementary music program to be lost again this January. That music program cut will be one of many other onerous reductions in local school services needed at that time.

I see no way but a shortened school year for VUSD and other school districts in the state, perhaps by as much as a month, to meet the looming January shortfall in revenue from the state. (A shortened school year reduces school district costs by cutting employee salaries, as well as school site lighting, heating and AC costs).

The cause of this funding gap is the direct result of SACRAMENTO Republicans who refused to allow, we the people, to decide for ourselves whether we wanted these drastic cuts to our schools or whether we might chose to extend existing taxes for five more years.

A special election was needed last June to allow, we the people, to stop these cuts with a tax extension but that did not happen. Washington DC http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflobbyist, Grover Norquist, convinced (cowed with threats?) every single Sacramento Republican and got them all to say “no” to the people’s right to vote. http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3651880/jerry-brown-grover-norquist-spar.html

Due to the archaic 2/3rds majority rule in California, Republican votes were absolutely required for this measure to reach the ballot. Only four elected Sacramento Republicans were needed to allow us the right to vote. But every single SACRAMENTO REPUBLICAN refused to allow us that right to decide.
OUR LOCAL SACRAMENTO REPUBLICANS:
California Assembly
Martin Garrick (R) (760)929-7998(When not drunk driving, now running for Mark Wyland's state senate office)
Nathan Fletcher (R) (858) 689-6290 (running for mayor of San Diego)
Diane Harkey (R) (760) 757-8084 (Jim Gibson ran a nasty campaign against her for her Sacramento Assembly seat and lost a few years back.)

California Senate
Mark Wyland (R) (760) 931-2455 (term limited out of office in 2012-- by far the most personable of our local Republicans)


*The State of California provides between 80 and 90% of the funds to run local schools. Local taxes are the far far less important than state revenues for vast majority of school districts in the state including VUSD.