NEA’s Millions Won’t Save California Budget Initiatives
I haven’t been able to independently confirm this yet because the California Secretary of State’s campaign finance site is down, but the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the National Education Association contributed another $2 million towards the passage of Proposition 1B, an initiative on the May 19 ballot that would provide public schools with an additional $9.3 billion, but only if Proposition 1A also passes.
That would bring NEA’s total contribution to $3 million, plus the $5.3 million the California Teachers Association has given. CTA is prepared to spend up to $12 million from its ballot initiative fund.
Unfortunately for NEA and CTA, the sinkhole is widening as their spending increases. A Field Poll released this morning shows not only are the key initiatives trailing, but they are falling further behind.
A Public Policy Institute of California poll last month showed 1A with 39% in favor, 46% opposed, and 15% undecided. This morning’s Field Poll shows 40% in favor, 49% opposed, and 11% undecided.
PPIC had 1B in front, with 44% in favor, 41% opposed, and 15% undecided. That support collapsed. The Field Poll has 40% in favor, 49% opposed, and 11% undecided.
Traditionally, successful California ballot initiatives have had large margins of support at the start of campaigns, which dwindle as the election approaches. It would be highly unusual for initiatives to reverse these kinds of deficits.
NEA and CTA have one glimmer of hope, and it is something I have mentioned when discussing poll results concerning other issues – the utter cluelessness of a significant number of survey respondents.
The Field Poll surveyed registered voters and likely voters, and determined that a full 28% “had not seen or heard anything about these proposed ballot measures.” Even worse, when likely voters were told that both 1A and 1B had to pass in order for 1B to take effect, only 43% knew about the provision, while 24% didn’t believe it when they heard it.
With three weeks to go before the election, NEA and CTA appear to be throwing good money after bad. Statewide, 72% of the Field Poll respondents agreed “if the budget measures are defeated it would send a message to the governor and the legislature that voters are tired of more government spending and higher taxes.” Even 60% of Democrats agreed.
May 1st, 2009 at 16:09
Proposition 1A through 1F of the propositions in the upcoming special election consider a NO vote, because it’s downright fraud. Remember you are paying for prison cells, education health care and other forced Federal mandates for illegal alien families. Since proposition 187 those people in Sacramento have stuck it to you. Welfare – $1.8 to $3 billion per year is lost due to fraud in the Food Stamps, Medi-Cal and Cal WORKS programs. Remove illegal immigrants and felons from Cal WORKS. More than 42 percent of California’s taxpayer-funded, Medi-Cal births are to illegal immigrant mothers. Every month, $37 million in welfare and food stamps, health care goes to illegal alien families in Los Angeles county. A blockbuster example of fraud is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Economics writer Ed Rubenstein’s new report, “The Earned Income Tax Credit and Illegal Immigration: A Study in Fraud, Abuse, and Liberal Activism,” The author says immigrants collected about $12 billion from the EITC last year, the majority not paying a cent towards it. Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation found high school-dropouts-who headed households pay an average of $9,700 a year in taxes but collect an average of $32,138 a year in benefits. All this money in real dollars is procured from unaware taxpayers. Surf NUMBERSUSA for the truth not the propaganda you expect for the open border zealots.