March 31, 2005


Public servants rally against Schwarzenegger’s budget plan

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wined and dined supporters during a fund-raiser at the Fairmont Hotel on Thursday, a vocal faction of angry protestors chanted outside.

Angry, but orderly civil servants, including teachers, nurses, doctors, and firefighters chanted outside the Fairmont Hotel Thursday afternoon and evening, while Gov. Schwarzenegger entertained well-heeled supporters inside.

More than 1,000 disenfranchised school teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters filled the streets along Plaza de Chavez and clamored for the attention of well-heeled Silicon Valley supporters who attended the $1,000 a plate dinner on behalf of the Citizens to Save California, a committee formed to promote Schwarzenegger’s plan to overhaul state government.

“The committee is promoting the governor’s four ballot initiatives,” explained Communications Director Reed Dickens. “Two for education regarding tenure and merit pay, one on pension and one on the budget. The committee is obviously endorsing, funding, and collecting signatures so if the governor calls for a special election in June, they will qualify for the ballot in the fall.”

Dickens said they are well on their way toward the June deadline and reaching a goal of $13 million to qualify the measures that seek to redraw district boundaries and redefine state spending limits, public employee pensions, and teacher salaries by paying them according to performance, rather than seniority.

According to Assemblyman Keith Richmond, massive pension deficits, generous benefit increases and “out-of-control pension costs” across the state prompted him to look for a new public employee retirement program, one similar to those provided by most private-sector employers, sighting several Bay Area examples where government agencies have cut services to meet pension obligations.

Although members of the governor’s camp and hotel officials declined to comment on the soirée inside, the assemblage outside contained a glut of willing participants determined to have their say.

While supporters dined on lavish cuisine in a private, well-guarded suite, signs stating “$10,000 dinners would buy a lot of classroom supplies” waved passionately in the hands of teachers just yards outside, chanting, “Arnold—Recall!”

“Doing this is not right and Arnold’s got to know it,” stated firefighter union representative Randy Sekany of Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal.

“Hey hey, ho ho, the Terminator has got to go!” they also sang, joined by teachers, firefighters, parents, and supporters, while wielding signs like “The kindergarten cop cops out,” “Kids count—Arnie can’t,” “Manly men keep their promises,” “Education is not a movie,” and “Governor—or schoolyard bully?”

“What he and Assembly member Richmond are proposing is wrong,” stated Firefighter Union representative Randy Sekany. “It’s wrong for firefighters and police officers. It’s wrong for nurses. It’s wrong for teachers. It’s wrong for the kids—it’s wrong for California.”

Yet, according to a grand jury probe, Santa Clara County pension costs have risen from $66 to $95 million to in the past three years—a nearly 50 percent increase and CalPERS and CalSTRS, two of the state’s largest pension funds are currently under funded by more than $20 billion.

“The solution to California’s pension crisis is obvious to all but those lucky few who benefit from the current system.” Richmond stated. “For politicians, establishing a match rate for employee contributions is an easy-to-understand decision with predictable costs—just the type of fiscal accountability taxpayers deserve and can afford.”

“When we signed on, we knew we were taking a dangerous job,” Sekany argued. “We’re willing to get hurt—we’re even willing to die to save the lives of our citizens, but we’re not willing to put our wives and our children at risk of leaving them without disability or death benefits. It’s not right. Just like it’s not right to cut the classrooms and take money out of our kid’s education. We’re all special interest groups. We’re interested in the lives of others. Nurses are interested in saving lives and taking care of people. Teachers are interested in our children. Doing this is not right and Arnold’s got to know it.”

Education hit hardest
Although commercials tout Schwarzenegger’s insistence that money tagged for education has increased and now totals half the sate budget, Sekany and other say it’s still not what voters approved when Prop 98 was passed, requiring that roughly two thirds be allocated to schools. A deal struck last year was supposed to bring full funding back this year, and they say he has yet to come through.

“The fact is, it’s not the amount that is supposed to be coming in,” Sekany said. “It may be half, but it’s not the amount that the voters said they wanted done. He’s supposed to be for the people when the voters speak. He
said he would do it—so give the amount the legislation and the law says. He’s not keeping his promise.”

“He’s hurting our kids,” said Oak Grove High School teacher Jared Thompson, waving a photo of the scantily clad body builder with the words, ‘Go pump yourself, leave 98 alone.’

At least 1,000 angry protestors rallied outside the Fairmont Hotel Thursday, while Gov. Schwarzenegger held a private fundraising dinner inside.

“Union School District already sent out 933 pink slips,” Thompson added. “That’s two thirds. I don’t know who’s going to teach.”

“They pink slipped our entire English, math and science departments,” said Almaden/Blossom Valley resident Cathy Gonzales, who has been teaching for over 14 years and earned the title of 1998 teacher of the year at Santa Clara High School. “We’re facing class size increases and we’re losing our librarians, our counselors, and our career techs. They keep saying all but about 100 will be back in the classrooms, but then why did they put us through this?

Gonzales added after speaking with the superintendent during the Caesar Chavez awards luncheon earlier that day, that approximately 400 rescind notices are being prepared.

“That was one week ago,” she said. “Can’t they organize this better? At $5 per certified letter, that’s over $4,600 that could go to the classrooms. And of course, everyone’s requesting hearings, so the legal process has started. We’re all blown away.”

Included in the mix were parents and supporters of Prop 98, including Cheriel Jensen of Saratoga, who said, “I’m just out here protecting our kids.”

“I think Arnie should stop clowning around and take the people’s interests to heart,” said Cambrian’s Sam Jones, who attended the rally with his father Raphael.

“I’m very disappointed,” Raphael added. “I didn’t expect much from him, but I’m very unhappy to see this. It’s not good for California.”

Yet, Dickens reminds constituents that it is best to put everything into context and remember two things.

“One, this committee has to raise funds and collect signatures from supporters across the state who support reforming the way California government operates,” he said. “On the other hand, you have the union bosses dictating to their members what they have to protest and where they have to show up and then sending them the bill. We don’t just steal the money out of their paychecks and make them support the opposition. They are being told to show up. Two, the people of California sent this governor to clean up the capitol. Now that he’s bringing major reforms to the table, we totally expect major opposition. The union’s number-one goal is to keep things just the way they are. Gray Davis and the state legislature spent years cutting deals with the unions so obviously they want to keep things status quo.”