Say no to budget terrorism!

As usual, our state legislature has passed a budget that shorts education - because they know that educators will mobilize and get them to add more education funds to the budget (whether or not they make cuts elsewhere to pay for them).

This is a game of political "chicken", where the legislators blackmail the people of California by threatening the education system that benefits us all (by providing a literate workforce, educated citizen/voters, etc. - not just the "Free child care" or "keeping those young hoodlums off the street" that some think of it as) , until "we pressure them" into adding more spending to the budget.

They purposely cut education spending instead of other discretionary spending knowing that public outcry will add educational funds back in, whereas the public wouldn't lift a finger to add more funds for heart transplants for death row inmates, raises for legislators and their staffs, or whatever else they want to waste our tax dollars on.

We can't afford to forget the way that the California State Legislature has sold out our teachers and our students. They must suffer the consequences of their actions.

This means that the CTA needs to give absolutely no financial support to any legislator that doesn't vote to fully fund education every year, and to let them know that we will support the people that run against them.

But until we can give all those weasels in Sacramento the pink slips they so justly deserve, let's play the game and keep teachers in classrooms, and give our kids a shot at a decent education.