Elections have consequences.

Election day is less than a month away.  I am watching this one for a lot of reasons.

1) By profession, I am a teacher in the San Juan School district, and I am watching for the results of the Prop. 30 decision very closely.  Yes, I am interested in how California citizens are going to vote when it comes to raising taxes on our wealthiest citizens, but it will have a direct impact on me as well.  San Juan and its teacher's association came to an agreement last year- if Prop 30 does not pass, and the state enacts cuts as promised, then all teachers in the district are facing a 13% cut in our paychecks on starting the first of 2013, and students will lose two weeks of school to furlough days.  

To be honest, this whole proposition has got me pretty upset from the day it was put on the ballot.  Turns out the gutless politicians in Sacramento are telling us that there is a crisis of state funding.  If that is true, how come they didn't just pass the tax increase themselves?  Why did the Governor ever sign a budget with this sort of provision in there in the first place?  Why do these morons think we should pay them when they have abdicated their jobs to us?

2) My other job- member of the board of trustees for the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District.  We are very fortunate in Dry Creek, because of some pretty good decision making over the years, there are no mid-year cuts that will need to happen- regardless of how the voters decide next month.  When other districts have cut days we have been able to hold that line- and not shortened our school  year.  

Next year will likely be a very different story.  Unless our economy improves fast I see nothing in our future but more state budgets that will tear the fabric of our public schools.  Bigger classes, shorter school years, or a combination of both.  

It does not matter who or what you vote for, but one thing that we have to keep in mind- without a growing economy, any tax increases- regardless of the good intentions of the money are only slapping a band-aid on the problem.  One of the most important decisions we can make is to look very closely at who we choose to represents us in Sacramento , and in Washington DC.  We need to ask ourselves, who is more likely to encourage business to expand?  Is the secret to a growing economy government jobs or private sector jobs?  What roll do we want government to play in our lives?  

Do we want to follow the ideals of FDR? 

"As I see it", Roosevelt laid out, "the task of Government in its relation to business is to assist the development of an economic declaration of rights, and an economic constitutional order. This is the common task of statesmen and businessman. It is the minimum requirement of a more permanently safe order of things...".

Or do we believe Thomas Jefferson?

"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits."

Whichever we choose, make yourself informed, and we can all pray that things improve quickly.  Our country depends on all of us making some tough choices in November.