[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke, president of the Teachers Union, is one of the happiest persons in Culver City since Prop. 30 funding, approved in November 2012, eliminated the need for potential teacher layoffs throughout the School District.]
Many School Districts, including ours, have avoided layoffs and further cuts to our schools primarily because voters in California passed Prop. 30.
You will remember that Prop 30 initially was a concept created by our statewide union, the California Federation of Teachers, called the “Millionaires’ Tax.”
It called for a temporary higher tax rate on individuals starting with their SECOND million dollars of income.
At the same time, Gov. Brown, had crafted a similar proposition that also included a temporary sales tax increase.
Knowing that two tax initiatives are actually worse than one (voters might vote them both down), CFT and Gov. Brown met.
They put together one proposition that became Prop. 30.
In a sign that voters do want to tax the super-rich in order to protect public education from further cuts, the proposition passed.
Both the sales tax increase and the “tax the millionaires” provisions are temporary increases.
CFT is working to get these provisions extended and/or made permanent. Otherwise, it’s back to the bad old days of cuts to our schools.
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
