Are progressive taxes the price we pay for living in a civilized society?
As in the past the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees are planning a family-friendly local event so folks can participate in this day right here in our own community. From 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. we are asking parents, students, teachers, classified staff, administrators and community members to walk from a BUSD site to the BUSD Administration building. We will have signs and leaflets to help our citizens understand the crisis we face in our state.
At 4:30 p.m. we will have a spirited rally at the Admin building at 2134 MLK Jr. Way meant to educate and to inspire us all to action. Student speakers will be featured. The Brass Liberation Orchestra will be on hand, and some incredible social justice art pieces will energize us all. Working together we will send a strong message that we need to restore the promise of our state, and that progressive taxes are the price we pay for living in a civilized society.
We hope you will join us on March 2nd. You can get more information by contacting the BFT or BCCE site reps at your school, or by calling BFT at 549-2307 or BCCE at 540-5002. We encourage you to wear red on this day (we will be talking about why we should all be "seeing red" over the state of public education funding in our state and over events in Wisconsin and Ohio).
Governor Jerry Brown's budget-balancing magic includes tax proposals renewing a quarter-percentage point increase in personal income taxes, which expired at the end of 2010, and maintaining a 1 percentage point increase in the sales tax, which will end June 30. The higher rates would remain in effect for five years. For this plan to work, 2/3 of lawmakers must agree to place the tax measure on the ballot, by March. And then of course, voters must approve it in a special election in June.
The governor said it would be "unconscionable" to deny voters the choice between raising taxes or chopping "another $12 billion out of schools, public safety, our universities and our system of caring for the most vulnerable."
Berkeley Unified School District will prepare budgets for two possible scenarios: a) Governor Brown's tax extension gets on the ballot and passes in June, and b) Brown's tax proposals fail. The best case scenario still requires the District to cut $700,000, and worst case is $3.7 million.
What are the implications for BAS? I don't read tea leaves, but we need to examine our fee structure, prioritize our offerings and prepare for possible cuts.
From Berkeley Federation of Teachers: “As you know, Wednesday, March 2nd, is this year's Statewide Day of Action in Defense of Public Education in California. With funding for K-12 education dependent on tax extensions to be placed on a June ballot, and large cuts proposed for child care, preschool and higher education, it's critical that all of us stand up and say "Enough! We must protect public education in our state.
The governor said it would be "unconscionable" to deny voters the choice between raising taxes or chopping "another $12 billion out of schools, public safety, our universities and our system of caring for the most vulnerable."
Berkeley Unified School District will prepare budgets for two possible scenarios: a) Governor Brown's tax extension gets on the ballot and passes in June, and b) Brown's tax proposals fail. The best case scenario still requires the District to cut $700,000, and worst case is $3.7 million.
What are the implications for BAS? I don't read tea leaves, but we need to examine our fee structure, prioritize our offerings and prepare for possible cuts.
From Berkeley Federation of Teachers: “As you know, Wednesday, March 2nd, is this year's Statewide Day of Action in Defense of Public Education in California. With funding for K-12 education dependent on tax extensions to be placed on a June ballot, and large cuts proposed for child care, preschool and higher education, it's critical that all of us stand up and say "Enough! We must protect public education in our state.
As in the past the Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees are planning a family-friendly local event so folks can participate in this day right here in our own community. From 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. we are asking parents, students, teachers, classified staff, administrators and community members to walk from a BUSD site to the BUSD Administration building. We will have signs and leaflets to help our citizens understand the crisis we face in our state.
At 4:30 p.m. we will have a spirited rally at the Admin building at 2134 MLK Jr. Way meant to educate and to inspire us all to action. Student speakers will be featured. The Brass Liberation Orchestra will be on hand, and some incredible social justice art pieces will energize us all. Working together we will send a strong message that we need to restore the promise of our state, and that progressive taxes are the price we pay for living in a civilized society.
We hope you will join us on March 2nd. You can get more information by contacting the BFT or BCCE site reps at your school, or by calling BFT at 549-2307 or BCCE at 540-5002. We encourage you to wear red on this day (we will be talking about why we should all be "seeing red" over the state of public education funding in our state and over events in Wisconsin and Ohio).
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