1/6/05

TO:          AFT/CFT Local Presidents

FROM:     Mary Bergan, CFT President

RE:          Response to State of the State speech
 
Last night Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared war on California education and those of us who work in our schools and colleges.

"This is going to be a big political fight," he declared. "This is a battle of the special interests versus the children's interests . . ."

Earlier in the day his new Director of Finance Tom Campbell and his Education Secretary told Education Coalition representatives that he is reneging on last year's "deal," which should be putting at least $1.1 billion of new revenues into education.

In the special session which he is calling today he will put on the table proposals to

    –  cut expenditures across the board when revenues do not meet projections,
    –  pass a constitutional amendment changing STRS and PERS from defined benefit to defined contribution plans
    –  base employment decisions, including compensation, on "successful performance"
    –  change the method of reapportionment of legislative districts

We have also been informed that the budget to be unveiled Monday will not include the state contribution to STRS, leaving to local districts and unions the job of making up the shortfall through increased teacher and/or district contributions.

We will get out information on specific budget proposals next week. But we know that we are in for a huge and difficult fight — one that we have to win. It starts now.

Get ready to enlist every AFT member to do his or her part. Reach out to your communities and your students to tell them how these proposals hurt them and to get them involved.

Let's show Arnold who really represents the people.

You can download copies of the governor's speech and the special session proclamation at www.governor.ca.gov <http://www.governor.ca.gov>