The Opposition (Prop 75 again)

The San Diego Union-Trib reports on growing opposition to the Governors special elections to be held November 8.

The article actually did a pretty good job summing up the two sides of the argument.

On the governors side:

Schwarzenegger is promoting four ballot measures: Proposition 74, which would make teachers work longer to get tenure; Proposition 75, which would require public employee unions to get written permission from members before dues could be used for political purposes; Proposition 76, a state spending cap; and Proposition 77, which would strip lawmakers of the power to draw political boundaries.

And on the opposition:

"Not much has changed since he took office," she said. "This is his way of saying, 'Please don't hold this against me, I'm still learning on the job.' He knows he hasn't delivered, and this is one way of explaining it to the voters."

Ok, so maybe it isn't as even handed as I said. The way I see it now, there are two distinct groups of voters in CA right now. Those who get all their information from TV ads and pamphlets handed out by paid political volunteers, and those who research the issues or actually read the voter handbook that every voter is given.

If you examine the actual text of the propostitions, or look at what they are trying to accomplish, they make sense. Change the waiting period for tenure from 2 to 5 years, making teachers work harder to get tenured. Why? Tenured teachers generally turn in worse performances. A state spending cap...actually, the second such cap, that would eliminate the Test 3 funding, orgrowth in general fund revenues. The redistricting plan keeps politicians from claiming areas that are heavily in favor of them. These proposals all sound fairly straight forward, but add in some TV spots and scare tactics on the opposition, and the waters have begun to boil. I won't even mention prop 75.

My question about the people in the picture - why have I seen them before? I think they were on the news in San Diego the other night, protesting the Governator...er, Governor. And why aren't they at work? "Union members Victoria Marquez, right, and Rosa Ayala rally in Los Angeles[...]" Could these be the people who are getting paid to call me and drive stakes into my yard? The same political operatives that would no longer be paid from union general funds if Prop 75 passes? No wonder they're up in arms...