After checking out the latest “Yes on Proposition 76” a few days ago, it’s only fair to examine the latest ad from the other side.

And this one isn’t much better at avoiding the hype.

The new anti-76 ad essentially plays the “what if” game over how Governor Schwarzenegger would react if the Legislature fails to resolve a budget deficit. Prop 76 says that a deficit which remains unresolved for more than 45 days can then be erased solely by the governor, pretty much with any spending cuts of his choosing.

The ad, with ominous music in the background, features a teacher identified as Shannan Brown who rattles off the things that will supposedly happen under Prop 76.

“Minimum school funding guarantees are wiped out,” she says. “Child immunization programs are threatened.”

Wow. Pretty dire, huh? Trouble is, both statements are a stretch. It’s true that the minimum school funding guarantee (approved by voters in 1998 as Proposition 98) would be modified. But it wouldn’t be “wiped out.” Prop 98 would still provide a mandatory base level of funding every year. It would only be tinkered with if the governor chose to cut school funding to resolve a deficit… again, after the Legislature failed to approve any solutions.

The accusation that “child immunization programs” would be threatened is probably the wildest idea thrown out there by this ad. Seeing as there’s no such language in Prop 76, you have to assume that the ad is (again) trying to come up with the kinds of programs that would be subject to spending cuts if the governor had to erase a deficit without input from a deadlocked Legislature.

Sure, childhood immunization programs could be on the chopping block… but so, too, could be welfare programs, prison spending, or transportation projects. None of these are any less– or any more– threatened by the provisions in Prop 76.

You can watch the ad, called “Teacher”, here.