California Special Election: Prop. 1D explained

What it would do: This measure would shift about $1.7 billion away from early childhood development programs over the next five years and use it to help balance the state's budget.

Quick take: The California Children and Families Program, established by voters in 1998, would lose $608 million in 2009-10 and $268 million a year for the next four years. That represents about 70% of the program's revenue, which comes from a tax on cigarettes. The money would go to the general fund to finance health and human services programs for young children.

-- Evan Halper

Full text of the propositions

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Links: May 19 Voter Guide | Find your polling place  | How the props are expected to do | Times endorsements

Discuss: Should the state temporarily reduce voter approved early childhood education programs to balance the budget?

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Comments

[August]

Like I've been saying for decades, whenever they say "It's for the children" NOT ONE PENNY EVER TOUCHES A CHILD'S HAND!

[Tannim]

What they're not telling you about Prop 1D:

It redirects $1.7 billion in Prop 10 funds to other children's health services to offset the cuts made to those programs in the budget. The Legislature gets a blank check on the funds, meaning they can spend it on whatever they want, not even children's services, and it imposes new auditing standards on counties and allows the counties to play similar shell games to balance their budgets.

IOW, it's a scam, and the net result is county services for kids get it in the shorts.

[Eddie Barker]

Why are you guys so cynical?

[chamae]

It is the Nixon era revisited if this program is gutted. We know from RMN that it is an easy program to go after,but one which we cannot afford to weaken. Like the Gropenator stated, we need to tax California's biggest money-maker: pot. It is a sin tax, sure, but it is needed more than a gambling tax increase.

[Sandi B]

Absolutely! It was stupid to dedicate so much money to education in the first place. Like everything else, I sure the state wastes most of the money.

[D. Lehman]

VOTE - NO on all these June issues
and let the inept assembly go
to the 9th district and change your
vote. That's how we do things here
in CA anyway.

[Tammy]

No! People need to connect the dots.
The LAUSD high school drop out rate is now at it's highest rate ever (35%). Our children must be better educated, and early childhood education has been proven to help kids' education in the long haul.
This is a no brainer (pun intended).

[Chris]

No on all six props!! The state is in denial about how much it spends and on whom it spends it. Make the slimy polititians deal with the REAL problem: they spend too much and keep hitting us up to fix the fix they keep getting themselves into. Stop giving the addict his fix!

[Butterflysky]

Yes, I believe the parents should start making time to educate their own children rather than have some total stranger influence the most impressionable years of their life.

Some of these people don't stop having children, I have none, why should I be responsible for paying for all their education?

That's the problem these days, families don't spend time together, but rather look to someone else to raise their kids for them.

[Brian Melgar]

Absolutely, the State should spend within their means. The school must consolidate at least 50 students in one classroom. Parents is always the first teacher of a child. Other countries had over 50 students in a classroom and why not in the U.S.? Our educators should be realistic and change their mentality and be more pro-active and problem solver. The truth is.....now the U.S. government borrowed $0.46 in every $1.00 dollar we spent.
Just think what you can do to your country... and not depend on what your country do for you.

[Don Tito]

A resounding NO!! Has everyone already forgotten that cigarettes were jacked up $2 and we were told that money would go to child healthcare. Enough is enough.....let the state go to Chapter 11.

[Regular American]

California spends 3 billion each year on illegal immigrants in the prisons alone.Why would we cut fire and police and not even TALK about cutting services for illegals???? If you are not cynical, you are not paying attention.

[David J. Skjonsby - uncledavidoldguy]

Categorically NO.
Politicians like 'quick fixes.'
One reason we have rampant substance abuse and
dysfunctional kids is simply because politicians failed
to fund children's programs 25 years ago.
Funding decisions don't just impact the present -
the legislature is tampering with 2030 as well as 2010.

[Oz]

In other words, proposition 1D wants to bankrupt the one proposition in CA history that ever pays for itself. Early childhood education is fully and successfully funded. Early childhood education leads to better performance at the later stages of education, meaning that CA children are less likely to be a drain on the state when they grow up. If you vote yes for 1D later on we'll have another proposition to bail out the poorly performing education sector. Just you watch. Don't rob Peter to pay Paul, let the state government to their job and balance the budget.

[Charles Medlin]

Yes - In fact, I feel all propositions that allocate general fund dollars be rescinded. We hire (elect) legislators to determine our budget. If they fail to do so responsibly, we hire (elect) someone else. If all of the general fund money is allocated through propositions, they don't have a job to do. And when we go through hard times, like now, their hands are tied. We need to hurry up, redraw the districting lines, and get legislators that can do the job, and get the SPECIAL INTEREST - IN OTHER WORDS, BACKERS OF PROPOSITIONS - out of the legislating business.

[keltron]

NO NO NO!!! Even if you dont have children... the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. If we don't help provide a strong early education for these children, how can we expect to have them care for us as we get old and helpless. And having 50 children in one classroom is just a disaster waiting to happen. Many children need at least some 1-on-1 attention in the classroom... how can we expect 1 teacher to provide that to 50 kids in one day... many will fall through the cracks. Its just sad. I am 25 years old, born and raised in so. cal. and I had a class size of 30-35, and I can honestly say, it was really easy to sit in the back and get forgotten... imagine adding 15 more kids to that. Sad.

[PamG]

NO NO If you want to find out what the first 5 pays for go to children and families commission of OC or first 5 - Most of the money goes to pay for lower income childrens programming not covered by your taxes like healthcare, free dental, early literacy programs, shelters, free developmental screenings and more! We are already the most taxed state in the Nation - what is the government doing with ALL THAT MONEY!!! balance the budget without robbing childrens programs that are in need now more than ever!

[Rob]

Early childhood education is important. I'm worried about early adulthood education. What will happen to the University of California and California State if these props don't pass? Our university system is going to fall apart.

[Dick Diamond]

I've heard so many comments in my 40 years of teaching in Riverside Unified School District about "for the kids," I'm sick of it. What it really means is for the administrators. No only do kids never see the dollars, the teachers have to scrimp and save to kids can get the education they need.

[Greg Wright]

There are alot of ways to slow this expense.

Stop having so many children. The church does not want the use of birth control. To keep having more and more babies is much of the problem.

I grew up with 35 to 40 kids in the class room. The use of technology will help with these numbers. Much of this money is spent / wasted. If there is to be a 10% cut let it be across the board...10% from each department not just teachers.

The schools are not being well run. The teachers are not suffering and the adminstration staff are not suffering.

[Duane]

It's always for the childrings. I will vote for a school tax when there is a metal desk and linoleum instead of carpet on the floor in the Superintendant's office.

[pterasaur]

Sure, I will hand the politicos a nice,fat slush fund after their pathetic track record. Stop giving away the taxpayers money to everyone with a sob story. WE CAN'T AFFORD IT !. You can't balance a budget because of your give aways. It is not for the children. We need cutbacks to allow this econony to morph back to a reasonable size. I am sick of your socialism !!

[Steve]

It's apparent the measures are going to fail. So this discussion of the measures is redundant. But, when the big cuts come to education, what then? Education in California is going to have a nervous breakdown. A bloated machine is coming apart at the seams. It's going to be ugly.

[Michelle Wilson]

NO! NO! NO! Did anyone think about whats at the end of this line? Obviously not ,if programs are cut who will be at home watching the kids while parents work. How will parent work if they are forced to stay home. What do you expect families to do to take care of themselves if they can not work. If they can't work will the government be so quick to open up their homes so that families can continue to keep a roof over their heads. Stop looking at the taxpayers to always bail (you )the government out. See what you can do from your level first then work your way down. Stop being so greedy and selfish.