The Sacramento Bee’s prime opinionator
makes the argument today that school officials should not be telling the public
about the high costs if we do not pass Prop. 30. He says, “Education Code Section 7054 prohibits K-12 and
community college officials from spending public funds "for the purpose of
urging the support or defeat of any ballot measure or candidate … ."
The state Supreme Court cited that
law three years ago in ruling that it was illegal for a teachers union to use
school district facilities to distribute political literature.
Throughout California, however, school
officials are sullying the intent of the law by using official communications
to plug passage of Proposition 30, Gov. Jerry Brown's sales and income tax
increase.
Walters has moved down the slippery slope. Following his argument
public employees can’t tell parents and students that tuition increases and
budget cuts are coming - $ 4.5
billion in cuts to K-12, and $.5 billion to the universities.
While reasonable rules are needed to prevent public
resources from being used as propaganda, it is absurd to argue that public
employees must not share this vital information with the voting public. Apparently Walters believes voters
should rely upon the Bee and similar news outlets for the information.
One problem with that argument is that large majorities no
longer read the newspapers. A
second problem, the newspapers are corporate owned and generally promote a corporate agenda. They mis report major stories. Just look at the stories posted below
about the Chicago teachers’ strike and ask yourself, did you see these ideas in
your local paper?
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