Why California Democrats are Fighting to Preserve Vital Education Spending

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In this week’s Democratic weekly radio address, Assemblymembers Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) and Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles) argue that protecting our state’s schools from drastic budget cuts should be a top priority during ongoing budget negotiations.

You can listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

Hello. This is Assemblymember Julia Brownley, chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Education.

Today’s global economy provides many opportunities, but it also means our children are competing for jobs with countries like China and India, which long ago made education their top priority.

Parents understand that education is critical to future generations of Californians and don’t want shortsightedness in Sacramento to hold their children back.

For this reason, California voters overwhelmingly support Proposition 98, a ballot measure that was designed to protect vital funding for schools and teachers.

Now, Governor Schwarzenegger and Assembly Republicans want to put California’s students under the budget ax and make the 4.8 billion dollar education cut they’ve proposed.

Legislative Democrats understand that California’s budget deficit means tough decisions are in order.

And that is why we have reluctantly supported over $7 billion in emergency cuts to state services, reducing our state’s $15 billion budget deficit by almost half.

And let me be clear: Assembly Democrats will not mortgage our children’s future. Our schools must remain competitive.

The California Teachers Association is now projecting over five-thousand teachers, counselors, janitors and support staff will lose their jobs because far-right legislators refuse to even consider a budget that brings additional revenue.

These proposed cuts will cost California classrooms an average of $8-hundred per pupil, according to the California Budget Project.