Proposition 38 Rally Set for Culver City Monday

Culver City PTA members and parents will hold a rally Monday at Veterans Memorial Park in Culver City at the corner of Overland and Culver boulevards at 5 p.m. in support of Proposition 38, the state income tax increase on the November ballot that would boost funding for public schools.

Supporters say the measure would bring more than $6 million to Culver City Unified School District schools in the 2013-2014 fiscal year and more than $14 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Proposition 38 would increase income tax rates for 12 years for annual earnings over $7,316 using a sliding scale from 0.4 percent for the lowest earners to 2.2 percent for individuals earning more than $2.5 million.

During the first four years, 60 percent of new revenue would go to schools from kindergarte through 12th grade schools, 30 percent to repaying state debt and 10 percent to early childhood programs. Thereafter, 85 percent of new tax revenue would go to kindergarten through 12th grade schools and 15 percent to early childhood programs.

The increase would generate about $5 billion in the 2012-13 fiscal year, $10 billion in 2013-14 fiscal  year and tending to increase over time, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office and state Director of Finance Ana Matosantos.

"Proposition 38 is the only initiative on the ballot that will bring additional dollars to our public schools," said Jody Reichel, a member of the Culver City PTA Council.

"It has strong accountability provisions and guarantees that the new education dollars will go straight to every public school in California so that we can start restoring all the cuts our teachers and students have been forced to endure."

Jason Kinney, a co-chairman of the campaign against Proposition 38, called it "the wrong tax at the wrong time."

Unlike Proposition 30, passage of Proposition 38 "will require a pulling of the triggers in the budgets, massive cuts to schools, shortening of the school year and schools won't see a dime of new money out of this measure until 2014," Kinney told City News Service.

"It makes a problem much worse, before it gets better," Kinney said.

Under terms of Proposition 38, "money probably wouldn't be received by schools until late 2013, beginning of 2014. In the meantime, we wouldn't fill a $6 billion hole written into this year's state budget," Kinney said.

Nathan Ballard, the communications director for the Yes on 38 campaign, said "no matter how much Jason Kinney hyperventilates, the fact is because Proposition 38 brings in such a huge cash infusion to our schools, it is highly unlikely that the Legislature will cut even a dime from schools. In fact, the schools will have more funding than ever before."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson told the Sacramento Bee he believes the Legislature and school districts would change their trigger-cut arrangements if Proposition 38 passes.

"If there is a pot of money generated outside of the budget deal, it still addresses priorities the governor and Legislature say they care about," Torlakson told the Bee. "So I think the Legislature would find a way to bridge
the budget gap knowing the money is coming in."

Proposition 30, which is backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, would increase the sales tax by a quarter-cent on the dollar for four years and raise the income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years.

Eighty-nine percent of the revenues from Proposition 30 would be devoted to schools from kindergarten through 12th grade and the other 11 percent to community colleges. The measure would also guarantee funding for public safety services realigned from state to local governments.

Proposition 30 would generate an additional $6 billion in state tax revenues from the 2012-13 through 2016-17 fiscal years, according to an estimate from the state's Legislative Analyst's Office and Matosantos. Smaller amounts would be generated in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years.

If both measures are approved by voters, the one getting the most yes
votes will prevail.