Can you feel it? Fall is just around the corner! Apples, pumpkins, fall leaves, cooler weather, boots, sweaters, football and November elections! These days you can't log into Facebook with out seeing at least one post about upcoming elections. After 3 presidential debates we are just a few short weeks away from election day. Of course those who know me will know exactly who I am voting for. Although I feel strongly about our presidential election that is not the focus of this post. This is for California voters. We have quite a few propositions we are voting for that I want to share my perspective and my opinion about.
In general Proposition 32 is called the "Paycheck Protection Initiative." If passed the proposition will ban unions and corporations from donating money to political candidates and ban unions and corporations from automatically taking money from employees paychecks for political purposes. If you'd like to read the actual proposition...Google it! Before we go any further I want you all to know that I support Proposition 32 and I am going to spend the rest of this post telling you why.
The California Teacher Union (CTA) is in a panic. Over the past few weeks they have been doing their best to give teachers their side of the story. I have sat in meetings where I have heard things like, "if this passes teachers will not have the union to support them." "When this happened in Wisconsin teachers got fired for getting a speeding ticket" "In Wisconsin school districts enforced a dress code where teachers had to wear dresses and heels every day to work" and my favorite "This takes away our voice." If you are like me you are wondering, "Did these people even read the proposition?!" In my research I see nothing that dissolves the union. I see limiting special interest money in politics and letting employees choose how their hard earned money is spent. And as a voter you always have a voice.
About a month ago the union sent a representive to talk to us about prop. 32 during our lunch timer at work. With in a few minutes the guy noticed my not so subtle eye rolls at the comments he was making. He then shared with me the greatest lie of the no on 32 campaign. That even though the propostion states that it limits both unions and corporations the big bad corporations are exempt. The truth is that the proposition limits corporations from donating paycheck deducted funds. The reality is corporations don't often donate money in this way. If a corporation wants to donate it's own money I could care less. It is their money! Unions donate it's members money. My money.
Let's talk details. I've looked at my paycheck. Every year I give roughly $1000 to the union. We have about 25 teachers at my school. Do a little simple math and you realize that my school gives roughly $25,000 to CTA. Of course that is a very rough estimate because I don't see others paychecks. That my friends is A LOT of money and it's just from one small school in a huge state. CTA has a huge amount of money to be spending and money equals power. Over the past few months I have spent time researching what CTA actually does with that money. First of all it is used to pay the salary of the union big-wigs. And second of all it is used to contribute to political candidates and propositions. Here is what gets me. In 2008 CTA strongly opposed proposition 8 (ban on same sex marriage) to the point that it donated 1.3 million dollars to the no on 8 campaign. I was strongly in support of proposition 8. So much that I donated much of my time, energy and even my personal money to the yes on 8 campaign. I worked, I made phone calls, I organized groups of callers and I stood on street corners holding signs yet unbeknownst to me I was also contributing the no campaign through CTA. Thinking about it makes me so angry. First of all what does same sex marriage have to do with education? Second who does CTA think that they are? Why do they think that just because I am a teacher that they have the right to speak on my behalf?
Californians watch out. Unions are running this state. They are the ones with the money. They are ones with the power. I strongly believe that the power belongs to tax payers not special interest groups. With proposition 32 we have the chance to take back some of that power. The unions are scared and guess what?! They should be.
Speaking of taxes I'm sure the one thing Californians want to do is pay more right? There are two tax increase propositions on the November ballot; proposition 30 and 38. Let's face it. 38 is not going to pass. Thank goodness. 30 on the other hand might. 30 is very incorrectly called the "millionaire tax" but if you believe it is only increasing taxes on the rich you haven't read it. I'm not going to get into the whole why is fair to tax the rich more argument. In my opinion that should be enough to vote no. I'm going to talk about the how it will effect us non rich people. The proposition will increase sales tax in CA from 7.25% to 7.5%. Last time I checked sales tax doesn't just effect the rich.
These increased taxes are supposed to save the state and save education. I sat in a very depressing meeting yesterday where the superintendent of my district talked about the budget. The reality is scary. Really scary. School districts have been cutting and cutting from their budgets. If the proposition doesn't pass they will be asked to cut even more. The problem is that increased taxes are a short term fix not a long term one. If this proposition passes it does not give education more money. It keeps things status quo for a short time. The only long term fix is a better economy. Now think do you think that increasing sales tax will help improve the economy? Proposition 30 is like putting a band aid on a cut that needs stitches. Raising taxes drives the rich away from our state. It drives away small businesses. It makes the middle class feel poorer. And raising sales tax does not make me want to go out and spend money.
By voting no on 30 I could very well be voting myself out of a job. I definitely have a lot to loose. After 6 years of teaching I am still fairly low on the seniority list. A neighboring district let go about 60 teachers last year. If that was my district that would be me. If I still do have a job I am definitely voting myself into a pay cut. In case you were wondering I'm a teacher. I'm not making much in the first place! Pay cuts are scary and not ideal but last time I checked you voted for the greater good not for your own gain.
I know that this post is long. If you read it all I'm impressed. Yes, I'm a conservative through and through. I think that shows through each and every word. I'm not an expert but I've done my research. On Nov. 6th I'm voting to save the state that I love so much. Yes on 32. No on 30.
