Extending the length of time required to achieve tenure will do nothing to alleviate the real problems education faces. Proposition 74 is merely the governor’s attempt to punish teachers for having the courage to speak out against his policies. It is his attempt to blame teachers for what is wrong with California’s schools.
  
Proposition 75 singles out public employee unions for “special� treatment. Teachers, firefighters, the police and nurses will have their collective voices severely diminished by being required to get each member to sign off each year for their dues dollars to be spent for political purposes.

Corporations will not be required to get stockholders to do likewise; only public employee groups will be hampered. Only public employee unions will have their freedom of speech stymied.
This is not reform. This is a shameful attempt on the governor’s part to take power from hard-working, middle-class people who do the real work of the government.
 
Real political reform would be to limit the amount corporations and unions can spend on elections. Real reform would limit the amount any candidate could spend on an election to amounts that would make it possible for a non- wealthy person to be elected. Real reform would make it illegal to pay for signature gathering for propositions. 

Proposition 76 would give the governor more power to cut the budget. It would also do away with the Proposition 98 funding guarantee for schools. This is simply a power grab on the part of the “acting governor.� It would result in more power for him and less money for schools. This is not reform.

Real reform would be to require the annual state budget actually be on time. Real reform would reduce the two-thirds majority required in the two houses of the Legislature to pass the budget to an attainable number that would allow for actual majority rule. Real reform would return control of school districts from Sacramento back to the local level. Real reform would be to find ways to properly fund schools. 
 
There is nothing special about this governor’s special election. It is a waste of taxpayers’ money. There are no real reforms in his plan. On Nov. 8, vote no to Arnold and his ill-conceived, misguided, and imprudent “reforms.�    
     
— Steve Blum, President,
Ventura Unified Education Association