Bush re-elected; Californians act to protect local government revenues 

Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry conceded victory to George W. Bush on Wednesday after a win in Ohio gave the president the final electoral votes needed.

In a victory speech, Bush promised to “make public schools all they can be.” For advocates of public education, of utmost concern is the president’s commitment to closing the academic achievement gap.

“Beyond law and order, a nation has no greater responsibility to its citizens than to ensure that each and every child has access to a quality education,” said Scott P. Plotkin, Executive Director of the California School Boards Association.

During the campaign, Bush promised he would “continue to demand accountability so that every student is proficient in reading and math by 2014, as promised by NCLB.” As much as they agree with that goal, many educators and education researchers acknowledge that it is probably impossible to get every single child – regardless of ability or disability – to achieve any meaningful standard of proficiency.

“While that’s exactly what the No Child Left Behind Act intends to do, it’s simply not working at the local level,” said Plotkin. “Our top priority in working with the administration is to fix NCLB, so that it helps local schools achieve the goals it was originally intended to support. The future strength and vitality of our state and of our nation depend on it.”

The president’s agenda includes reforming high school to better prepare students for college or the workforce by regular testing in reading and math through the 11th grade and making a more rigorous curriculum available to all.

Proposition 1A – local government revenues

Voters overwhelmingly approved (83.6 percent) a Constitutional amendment to reduce the Legislature’s authority over major sources of local government revenue such as property and sales taxes and vehicle license fees. California cities, counties, and special districts provide services and programs paid for with local revenues; the Legislature, until now, has had authority over these taxes.

In recent years, the governor has negotiated reductions and/or shifts of local revenue sources, with significant impact to local government revenues. Further, for several years the state has not reimbursed local governments, schools, and community college districts when the state has mandated new programs or higher levels of service.

The Legislature put Proposition 1A on the ballot as part of the 2004-05 budget package. The measure bars the state from acting to:

• Reduce local sales tax rates or change how they are allocated
• Shift property taxes from local governments to schools or community colleges
• Decrease vehicle license fee revenues without providing replacement funding
• Require local programs and services that are not reimbursed by the state.

As part of budget negotiations this year, property tax revenues due to cities, counties, special districts and redevelopment agencies in fiscal years 2004-06 will be reduced by $2.6 billion. Those funds will be shifted to schools and community colleges, lowering state costs for the next two years.

Starting in 2008-09, Proposition 1A allows property taxes be shifted to schools in an emergency, but it must be repaid, with interest, within three years. Two-thirds of both houses of the Legislature and the governor must approve the shift. The state can also approve voluntary exchanges of sales and property tax revenues among local governments within a county. These transfers of taxes and funds do not need voter approval.

Proposition 68 – Gambling

Voters soundly defeated (83.7 percent) an initiative to expand gambling in the state. Proposition 68, known as the Gambling Revenue Act of 2004, would have allowed eleven privately owned card clubs and five privately owned horseracing tracks to build and operate large gambling casinos with a total of 30,000 slot machines at their existing facilities. While proponents claimed the measure would help education, it did not provide any specific funding for K-12 education or community colleges, and would have cost County Offices of Education millions of dollars to administer non-education programs without reimbursement. The California School Boards Association and many local districts registered their opposition to the initiative.

Proposition 72 – Health care coverage

In 2003, the Legislature passed and Gov. Gray Davis signed Senate Bill 2, which was put on the ballot as Proposition 72. The initiative intended to require employers to provide health care coverage to all full-time and some part-time workers, but did nothing to help defray costs to either employers or their employees. Opponents, including CSBA and many local districts, argued that Proposition 72 vests unauthorized power in a state board to determine what medical procedures will be covered, what providers will be allowed to provide services and how much employers and workers pay for this coverage. Voters narrowly defeated the measure with 50.9 percent of the vote.