◼ The big question surrounding the measure that would save K-12 and higher education from billions of dollars in trigger cuts is whether Brown can be trusted to allot all the money derived from a rise in sales tax and income tax on wealthy Californians exclusively to education. According to UCLA professor and California state budget expert Daniel J.B. Mitchell, nothing can be as airtight as people want it to be. - Judy L. Wang/Neon Tommy
“Anything that is in the budget can always be overridden by the legislature,” Mitchell said. “There’s nothing that is absolutely set in concrete. There is no 100 percent guarantee. There’s always some way no matter what kind of formulas you have…there’s always way to re-channel revenue.”
The back and forth between 38 and 30 has brought down voter support for Proposition 30 from above 60 percent to below 50 percent in polls of likely voters. Mitchell said that Proposition 38 hasn’t gained too much momentum in those same polls either because middle class Californians are immediately turned off by the idea of an income tax raise.
Come Tuesday, Brown will not just be asking for a vote for education, but for a vote of trust as to where taxpayer money will actually end up.
