School Budget Cuts
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Haiti Tragedy
By David Cruz and Amanda Stupi
It’s been almost two weeks since a massive earthquake shook Haiti. Since then, the world has been shocked and saddened by the reports of mass destruction and death coming out of Port-Au-Prince.
NPR reported yesterday that Haitian officials say they have already burried 150,000 victims.
Many countries and individuals have donated to aid the country’s recovery.
Friday’s celebrity telethon: Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, reports that it has raised $57 million. The New York Times reported that the recording of the telethon, titled “Hope for Haiti Now,” became the number one album on iTunes in 18 countries on Saturday.
Friday’s California Report highlighted a group of Haitian musicians living in California who are raising money through concerts and other musical efforts.
To learn more about Haiti and international aid efforts visit:
NPR’s Haiti coverage
The Christian Science Monitor’s Haiti Earthquake Diary
A History of Haiti timeline at msnbc.com
The New York Times on Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief
Word of the Week: Marriage and Proposition 8
By Emmanuel Hapsis and Amanda Stupi
In Other Words is back with another Word of the Week–the series that explains the news behind the buzz.
This week we decided to give you the basics of the Proposition 8 trial.
To follow KQED’s ongoing coverage of the trial, visit:
The California Report’s special coverage of Same-Sex Marriage in California
Scott Shafer’s Proposition 8 Trial blog
NPR’s State by State: The Legal Battle Over Same-Sex Marriage map
Proposition 8 in Federal Court
By Emmanuel Hapsis
The gay marriage debate in California is back in the spotlight. After the passage of Proposition 8 in November 2008, which revoked the right granted by the California Supreme Court in June 2008 for same-sex couples to legally marry, civil rights activists vowed to bring the issue back to the courts and they’ve made good on their promise. Today marks the beginning of Perry v. Schwarzenegger and the first time a federal court has ever debated same-sex marriage. Here’s what you need to know:
Many expect Perry v. Schwarzenegger to be a landmark case that will ultimately end up at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. Some gay rights activists, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), tried to prevent the lawsuit because they believe that taking the issue to federal courts, specifically what many view as a right-leaning Supreme Court, is too risky.
Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson and trial lawyer David Boies, a Republican and Democrat respectively, are set to represent the same-sex couples who have been denied the right to marry. What’s interesting about their collaboration is that, in 2000, they were on opposing sides of Bush v. Gore, the highly-controversial court case that resolved the 2000 presidential election in George Bush’s favor. The two high-profile lawyers plan to make the case that Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution by denying the equal protection promised in the Fourteenth Amendment.
The defendants include a number of religious and conservative groups led by Charles Cooper, a lawyer who worked for the Justice Department under former President Ronald Reagan. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown are also listed as defendants, although both refuse to defend Prop 8 in court. Schwarzenegger has refused to officially pick a side on the issue, while Brown shares the Olson-Boies team’s belief that gays have the constitutional right to marriage.
Read more
California’s Budget: Not A River in Egypt
Photo: Justin Short, Office of the Governor
By Molly Samuel
In a nutshell, here’s how California’s budget gets passed: Every year, the governor presents his budget to both houses of the state legislature by January 10. The State Assembly and the State Senate each pass a version of the budget by a two-thirds majority, then a committee works out the differences between the two versions. A final version goes back to the Assembly and Senate, which passes it by two-thirds again and sends it back to the governor, who signs it and voila, a new budget is born.
What I left out of that summary is political grandstanding, difficult if not downright impossible goals, disagreements that will never be resolved, and the current financial crisis. When you factor all of that in, you end up with budgets that pass weeks later than they were supposed to (the 2008-2009 budget, for instance), budgets that are impossible to balance (see 2009-2010), budgets with some really tough options (see this year’s budget), and political humor (State Senate President Darrell Steinberg’s response to this morning’s proposed budget: “You’ve got to be kidding.” And Assembly Speaker Karen Bass : it’s “a big pile of denial.” Republicans were less sarcastic.)
All hilarity aside, Governor Schwarzenegger’s 2010-2011 budget is likely to draw controversy and may lead to lawsuits. Nothing here is final; this is the initial version of the budget that heads to the legislature. But there are a few proposals that are worth watching:
Eliminate the state sales tax on gas: The idea here is to eliminate the sales tax and replace it with an excise tax. This would lower prices at the pump, which sounds pretty good. But right now the money from that sales tax goes to public transportation, and is also linked to K-12 and community college funding. Without that sales tax, public rail and bus systems could lose a billion dollars, and Democrats are projecting that schools could lose up to two billion dollars.
Fund state parks with revenue from offshore drilling: Last year the Governor proposed allowing oil drilling in a state-owned area called Tranquillion Ridge off the coast of Santa Barbara. That idea was defeated in the legislature. Last year Schwarzenegger also suggested not funding state parks. That idea also didn’t make it very far. This year he’s linked them. Cynical or genius? Could be both.
End state worker furloughs: Last year, to save money, Schwarzenegger began requiring that state employees take three unpaid days a month off of work. Starting in July, the furloughs will end, but everyone will get a pay cut. So, basically, they’ll work more, but not get increased wages. Lawsuits from the unions will probably follow.
Right now the state is short about 20 billion dollars, which is why there are so many cuts in this year’s budget. The Governor is asking the Federal government to give California more than $6 billion that he says is owed to the state. If that doesn’t happen, there could be even more cuts down the line.
Stay tuned for more hilarity.
To learn more:
The California Department of Finance’s explanation of the budget process
The California Department of Finance’s official summary of the proposed budget
KQED Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers’ Capitol Notes blog
Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers explaining the budget on The California Report
Planning for College Amidst a Crisis
By Jessica Lipsky
“If you’re a high school student at Mission right now, the possibility of going to college is going away. You’re not going to City College, you’re not going to a UC, anywhere,” Andy Lipson yells among a throng of protesters in front of San Francisco’s City College. The Mission High School teacher’s veins bulge in his skinny neck as he screams infuriating truths into a megaphone. “The little bit of hope [our students] had about advancing in this…country has been extinguished!”
The college-age crowd roars, waving signs with mildly clever phrases urging action to end budget cuts and fee increases. “Don’t let us down,” shouts a curly-haired co-ed, her voice several octaves higher than the low roar of her protesting peers.
But many students are being let down. The University of California Regents recently approved a 32 percent fee hike and the California State University system plans to slash enrollment by more than 40,000 students for the fall 2010 semester, the same semester that has seen applications increase by 32 percent from last year. The resulting crunch has high school seniors more anxious and competitive than ever, with many considering alternatives to the traditional four-year state school path.
For Evan McCann, a Berkeley High School senior whose top schools are UC Berkley and San Francisco State, the budget cuts represent a swift kick in the pants and the potential destruction of his collegiate plans. On the Thursday of the UC Regents’ decision, Evan walks into the pizza shop where he works with slumped shoulders and sorrowful black eyes. The restaurant only has a few customers and with nothing to do, Evan skulks about the restaurant, shuffling his feet between the pizza delivery and dishwashing stations.
Read more
Financial Aid for Former Foster Youth
The California Watch, a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting, launched its website today. One of the first blog posts examines financial aid for youth who have been a part of California’s foster care system.
The post cites a recent study by the Institute for College Access & Success that shows many foster youth procure far less aid than they are eligible to receive. According to the story, many roadblocks exist to foster youth receiving the aid, such as age limits which disqualify many of the youth by the time they enter a four-year college.
Read the full story at California Watch.org.
You can also listen to The California Report’s three-part series on foster care at The California Report.org.
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