The Budget Deal

The California Governor and legislative leaders have reached a compromise on the state budget.
The $116 billion plan increases education spending by about 3 billion. The Governor claims this is a $384 per pupil increase. These figures will need to be checked. The Governor’s office has not been known for honesty with education figures.
This $3 billion would be the normal amount expected from this year’s Prop. 98.
Last year’s Prop.98 3 billion dollar “loan” has not been repaid.
It is interesting that the Education Coalition has accepted this position of not repaying the $3 billion dollar loan since CTA made this $3 billion figure central to its anti Arnold ad campaign.
Does anyone know why the Education Coalition went along?
It looks like a win for the Governor to me. Last week even the Bee pundits were chronicling his decline, today we have a budget crafted close to the Governor’s draft (at least on public schools).
It also looks as if the Democrats were not interesting in continuing the fight for the $3 billion. They saw the fall elections as a major threat.
The initiative campaigns are run from http:://www.allianceforabettercalifornia.org
A key initiative would prohibit public sector unions from using dues money for political campaigns. (Similar to prior proposition 226) As of July, this Schwarzennegger backed initiative would pass 57% to 34 %.
More to come.