Surprise, Surprise...Prop 30 Funds Steered Towards Salaries and Benefits--Less Than Half For Education

Governor Brown's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year has a big surprise for those who voted for its passage, believing that the bulk of the funds would be used for education.  Of the $6 billion raised by Prop 30, only $2.7 billion would go to K-14 eduction.  In addition, the budget has at least $1.3 billion for salaries and benefits to state employees who don't work in education and would generally cease the one furlough day a month policy.  The budget also includes $502 million for negotiated pay raises and health care benefit contribution hikes for state employees.

The OC Register points out that the advertising for Prop 30, however, led voters to believe that this wouldn't be the case:

Yet the Prop. 30 campaign led voters to believe that the majority of the money from higher sales and income taxes would go to schools. One TV ad run by Gov. Brown's official Prop. 30 campaign, "Teachers for 30," featured several teachers explaining the need for the money for schools. Then state Controller John Chiang was shown, assuring voters: "With strict accountability, money must go to the classrooms and can't be touched by Sacramento politicians." The spot ended with Gov. Brown positioned in the midst of 17 school kids about age 8, as he implored, "For the students, and for California's future, vote Yes on 30." The kids cheered.