California budget cuts billions from social programs, spares charter schools

[Hannah Bell]

The budget was initially passed by the state assembly and senate early Friday morning and was approved by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger the same day. Schwarzenegger implemented nearly $1 billion in additional spending cuts by exercising his line item veto power.

The budget includes approximately $7.8 billion in spending cuts, including:

(Summary)

•$3.8 billion in cuts & deferred payments to K-12 & community colleges -- though the gov says he's protecting education. This is after $17 billion in cuts & the loss of 30,000 jobs in the past two years.

•$1.6 billion in cuts to state employees (after a 15% cut in the form of unpaid furlough over the last 15 months)

•$800 million in cuts to prison medical care. Arnold says he'll let out low-risk inmates to get outside care -- presumably on their own dime.

•$300 million cut from In-Home Care (funds to care for sick/disabled family at home)

•$256 million from CalWORKS subsidized child care

•$200 million from MediCal (low-income health insurance)

•$133 million from mental health services for special ed kids

•Nearly $60 million from AIDS programs.

Also cuts to community clinics, senior services, cancer & drug treatment

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/cali-o13.shtml

BUT:

Charter schools spared statewide budget woes


Public charter schools have avoided the worst effects of California's budget crisis, which has forced traditional public schools to shorten the school year, increase class sizes and lay off staff.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/24/2090766/charter-schools-spared-statewide.html#ixzz12DlhKzJI


Charter schools defy recession - 89 set to open

Public charter schools in California are skirting the worst impact of the state's budget crisis while traditional public schools shorten the school year, increase class sizes and lay off teachers and staff by the thousands.

Nearly 90 more charter schools could open this fall, helped in many cases by an infusion of federal government and philanthropic support. Many of the schools are cutting costs by hiring less-experienced teachers who earn lower salaries than veteran teachers.

The expansion of charter schools is a key element in the education agenda of the Obama administration, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has enthusiastically backed the movement. The original goal of charter schools was to develop new education models that regular public schools could emulate. Now they are generating new strategies to survive tough economic times.

With so many teachers laid off from public schools, charter schools are having no trouble hiring new teachers.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-09-27/news/24099097_1_charter-schools-jed-wallace-public-schools

[Liberty Belle]

1. All part of the GOP scheme to defund and cripple public education -

while destroying the social safety net. Sickening.

[slay]

2. It is sickening indeed

people need to not send their kids to charter schools! and politicians on both sides are to blame for letting our existing public eduction system fall into such disarray. i hate that many elected Dems are embracing charter schools as well instead of putting money into our ALREADY EXISTING public schools which DESPERATELY needs the money. ugh. don't get me wrong, this is definitely a republican privatization wet dream, but the Dems don't seem to be fighting it either. :(

[Liberty Belle]

3. Agreed, I've written about that and can't seem to get the Dem officials to "get it" on this issue.

[defendandprotect]

6. Unfortunately, Obama and Duncan are pushing charter schools all over US ... !!!

[inna]

4. Education Shock Doctrine in action.

:nuke:


K&R, of course.

BTW... Of the 83,000 state and local jobs lost in September, 58,000 were in education, as teachers and other education workers were not called back for the new school year. http://www.epi.org/quick_takes/entry/state_and_local_governments_in_trouble_teachers_out/

The assault on teachers and workers' rights in general has been spectacular and unprecedented; this is a neoliberal wet dream come true.

[defendandprotect]

5. Why no citizen lawsuits on this ... ??? It's diverting public $ to private interests ... !!!