Prop 30 (Temecula, Orland: apartment complexes, renters, new home)

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Am I reading news right that the last prop passed 4 years ago has only been spent 20%?

[tetka_grunya]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

38 sounds worse to me. That would tax ALL of us for the next 12 years, although it claims it would send 60% of the $10 billion yield to schools through 2017. Prop 30 taxes only upper incomes and increases state sales tax temporarily (7 years) and, by state law, 40% of what the state takes in has to go to schools. Neither is well written but the alternative is frightening.

take others's people money is always a better option...

[hoffdano]

I feel bad for Californians. Prop 30 is the worst of bandaids for the current financial problems. It does nothing good for the long term to stabilize tax revenue for the state. There is so much wrong with state finances - the list would be pages long.

- remove the 40% spending requirement on education. Funding for education should be needs/budget based, not some automatic or arbitrary spending level.
- reform Prop 13. Allow property taxes to rise more closely to market values (change the 2% annual limit to 5% for example)
- keep property taxes local; don't let Sacramento spread it around
- reduce the dependency on income taxes, both personal and corporate
- pension reform!

[Curmudgeon]

One of the promises of Proposition 13 was that the state would provide for the schools through realignment funding. Then there was Proposition 98 which was going to make the schools whole for all time. Now there are Propositions 30 and 38. My question would be, what will come next if one or both of those passes. In my experience of educating five children primarily in California, too much money for schools is almost an up and no matter how much is pumped into the system, their hands will always be out for more. Unfortunately, increased funding sources seem to have a little or no bearing on academic outcomes but a lot of administrators are certainly made financially healthy.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by cb73

I'm I currently attend a community college, usually 1 class per term, working full time. With the tuition, and an amazing amount of fees tacked on by the colleges... I'm paying $214 per class for 1 class, $340 if I take 2 classes.

Unbelievable. And these people can't even get classes: Community colleges' crisis slows students' progress to a crawl - latimes.com

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

In my experience of educating five children primarily in California, too much money for schools is almost an up and and no matter how much is pumped into the system...

Not clear on what you mean by this.

[Think4Yourself]

I'm kind of torn. I like the idea of taxing just the upper income people to help restore some of the cuts education has had to endure but Prop 30 also modifies the constitution to require a fixed percentage of the budget be spent on police as well. I really don't like budgeting by ballot box as it ends up tieing everyone's hands so that when things do need to be cut nothing can legally be cut. Prop 38 avoids the spending mandates but it is a much broader based tax increase effecting just about everyone. Again, not good in a weak economy.

[Think4Yourself]

Originally Posted by cb73

I currently attend a community college, usually 1 class per term, working full time. With the tuition, and an amazing amount of fees tacked on by the colleges (I pay a fee to provide free birth control, among other things) I'm paying $214 per class for 1 class, $340 if I take 2 classes. Where does this all end?

That is a huge amount of money. I went to community college for two years back in the mid 90's before transferring to UC and back then it cost just $11 per unit plus they gave you both Cal Grants (from the state) and Pell Grants (from the Feds) so that you almost always had money left over to help pay for your books while the classes ended up being free even though I always took 15 units a semester.

The Politicians have just gutted education spending at all levels in this state. Our spending per pupil in k-12 is now down to 49th in the country. Republicans love to claim that "more money doesn't automatically mean success" but a lack of money almost ALWAYS does mean an automatic failure.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

Not clear on what you mean by this.

Typo! Using voice recognition software due to recent, partial paralysis in my hands. What I was trying to say was that when it comes to schools, too much money is almost enough.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

What I was trying to say was that when it comes to schools, too much money is almost enough.

True. But remember when CA used to lead the country in public education? And now we rank near the bottom nationwide (and also in per pupil spending).