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No on Prop 55
Vote “No” on Measure E and Prop 55.
Susan Kirsch’s analysis of Measure E was spot on and runs parallel to the underlying message in another initiative on this year’s ballot, Proposition 55.
This is the pattern we see when education initiatives are on the ballot: Education for our kids is suffering and we need to prevent another cut in investment (read: taxes) for our schools, books, pencils, marvelous teachers, excellent programs, etc. If we don’t do something now to retain current tax levels (or increase them), our children will fail to receive the kind of education we want to provide them.
The question in Proposition 55 is, “Does California really face $4 billion in new school cuts if Prop 55 fails?”
Background: In 2012, California voters approved Prop 30, which was promoted as a temporary solution…its revenue was not promised forever. That measure raised income tax rates on high-income residents and sales tax rates through 2018 to pay for schools. Prop 55 asks voters to continue that higher income tax rate for 12 additional years, through 2030. If the measure fails, the higher income tax rate would phase out in 2018.
But even if Prop 55 fails, school funding would continue to increase through 2019-2020, according to Department of Finance figures. That’s in part because revenue from Prop 30 continues through the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
In both cases, voters are being asked to open their wallets for years to come to save our children’s education.
As noted in Susan’s article, “Proponents should bring the measure back to the voters with a more modest and realistic 2-3% escalator cap, in 2017.”
As for Prop 55, this revenue was temporary and not promised forever and revenue will be available through 2020…four more years.
Vote “no” on measure E and Prop 55.