PROP 88

PROPOSITION 88: A SMART INVESTMENT FOR OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS, AND CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE
Consider:

• Students in one-third of California classrooms don’t have a textbook to take home—and many don’t even have a textbook to use in class.

• Teachers are paying for school materials out of their own pockets.

• Too many California classrooms are still overcrowded.

• Prop. 88 will help California graduate the skilled, educated workforce that is critical to a healthy business environment and our state’s economic prosperity.

PROP. 88: LOCAL CONTROL OF DOLLARS FOR CLASSROOMS

The education needs of communities and schools are not all the same. Prop. 88 provides needed funding directly to local schools and school districts so that they, not the Legislature, decide where to spend the funds.

Prop. 88 will provide dedicated funding to:

• Reduce class size so students get more individualized instruction

• Provide textbooks and other learning materials, so teachers don’t have to pay for these fundamental necessities out of their own pockets

• Make schools safer for students and teachers and help stop campus violence and gangs

PROP. 88: A PRUDENT AND FAIR INVESTMENT

Prop. 88 will put over $500 million a year directly into our local schools through a nominal (about 14¢ per day/$50 per year) property parcel assessment. Funds from Prop. 88 will be used to invest in our teachers and students, providing local schools with needed resources, like textbooks, computers, and other materials. TEACHERS SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DIP INTO THEIR OWN POCKETS TO PAY FOR CLASSROOM MATERIALS.

To protect those on fixed incomes, PROP. 88 EXEMPTS SENIOR AND DISABLED HOMEOWNERS [SECTION 21.5(b)].

PROP. 88: STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANNUAL AUDITS

Funds from Prop. 88 are prohibited from being used for administrative overhead and the Legislature cannot redirect the money to other programs [Section 6.2].

To ensure that funds go to classrooms and student learning, Prop. 88 requires annual independent audits [Section 6.2.(5)c] and penalties for misuse.

With Prop. 88, we know exactly where the money goes and we can make sure it is spent wisely.

PROP. 88: THE NEXT STEP IN IMPROVING OUR K–12 EDUCATION SYSTEM

Taxpayers have invested in our school system by approving local and state bonds to build new classrooms and remodel out- of-date facilities. But bonds don’t pay for teachers, textbooks, or other learning materials and supplies. Prop. 88 puts funds in our classrooms and allows local educators to use the funds where they are most needed.

PROP. 88: A VOTE FOR TEACHERS AND OUR KIDS

Teachers have one of the most important jobs. Yet their jobs are made difficult because of overcrowded classrooms and a lack of basic supplies. YES on Prop. 88 will help provide teachers the resources they need to teach our children and give children the attention they need and deserve.

READ PROP. 88 FOR YOURSELF. IT’S A SMALL INVESTMENT NOW THAT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR OUR FUTURE.

Vote YES on 88: More Textbooks and Learning Materials, Smaller Classes, and Safer Schools!

REED HASTINGS, Past President
California State Board of Education

JACK O’CONNELL, California State   Superintendent of Public Instruction

Then Proposition 88 requires analysis from a new “integrated longitudinal teacher and student data system as defined by the Legislature.” (Section 6.2 [b] [5])

County Treasurer Paul McDonnell says: “Proposition 88 is a costly administrative nightmare, creating new layers of expensive bureaucracy.”

Proposition 88 creates a whole new kind of property tax, needing only a majority vote to pass, opening the floodgates to new parcel property tax propositions. A tax with no termination date—it lasts forever. All so fewer than 5% of our kids’ schools can ask the State Legislature for a facilities grant?

Our kids, our schools, and our taxpayers deserve better. Much better.

Parents, Teachers, and Taxpayers agree
. . . NO on 88!

CLIFFORD CORIGLIANO, SR., Teacher of   the Year, 2003

ART PEDROZA, Member
California and American Federations of   Teachers, AFL-CIO

LORIE McCANN, Parent-Teachers   Association Local President

All Californians want better schools, but the promoters of Proposition 88 have taken the wrong approach. Concerned teachers and parents have joined with taxpayer groups and small business organizations to oppose Proposition 88. Here’s why:

• Proposition 88 does nothing to assure that funds raised in your community are spent on your schools. Proposition 88 lets the State Legislature give your tax money to any school district in the state.

• Proposition 88 creates a whole new kind of statewide property tax. Currently, all property taxes are collected locally and are used for local services, such as improving your local schools, reducing traffic congestion, improving health care, and increasing firefighting, paramedic, and law enforcement capabilities. The Prop. 88 property parcel tax goes to the State first.

• Proposition 88 would impose the first statewide property tax since 1910 and would encourage other special interests to pass more and bigger property parcel taxes for their self interest causes.

• Opening the door to the new property parcel tax could lead to huge new property taxes, contrary to the clear intent of Proposition 13 to limit property taxes. We could see owners of small homes or mom-and-pop stores taxed out of their homes and shops.

• This new tax is never ending; we will pay it forever, whether it does anything to help schools or not!

• Proposition 88 gives Sacramento politicians increased power to decide where and how to spend your money.

• Proposition 88 uses a loophole to get around the two-thirds vote requirement in Proposition 13 to increase taxes. Proposition 13 requires a two-thirds voter approval to impose a local property parcel tax. Proposition 88 would impose a new statewide property parcel tax with only a simple majority vote. As a result, it is much easier to impose new statewide parcel taxes than a local parcel tax. This is another good reason to stop statewide property parcel taxes now before we are flooded with property parcel tax propositions.

People concerned about our kids and schools say:

“As a public school teacher, nothing is more important to me than the quality of our schools. Proposition 88 is poorly drafted, it will result in tax money raised in our community being spent by the State Legislature anywhere in the state.”
—Lillian T. Perry, Middle School Teacher
                            Teacher of the Year 2002

“We are the parents of two children in public schools and are active in our PTA. We are very concerned about the impact of Proposition 88 on our local schools and are voting NO.”
                            —Paul and Susanna Fong
                                                El Dorado Hills

“Most of the school teachers I know are voting No on Proposition 88. It’s bad for our schools and bad for our kids.”
—Kate McGowan-Otto, 4th Grade Teacher
      Winner, Honorary Service Award, 2005

Proposition 88 doesn’t solve problems; it creates new ones. That’s why Parents and Teachers agree with Taxpayers and Small Business Owners. Vote NO on Proposition 88.

For more information visit: www.noprop88.com.

DR. TOM BOGETICH, Executive Director
California State Board of Education (Ret.)

JON COUPAL, President
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

JOEL FOX, President
Small Business Action Committee

Please read Proposition 88 for yourself. It’s a modest investment to help ensure students have updated textbooks, smaller classes, and safer campuses.

Two ultra conservative special interest groups are opposing this measure, just like they’ve opposed other efforts to improve public education in our state. They have never proposed a solution to fix our schools. Instead, they hide behind a smokescreen of distortions and will say anything to stop Prop. 88.

But don’t just take our word for it. READ 88 FOR YOURSELF. Then please join teachers, parents, businesses, and taxpayers around the state in voting YES on 88.

Prop. 88 will: