Today's Contra Costa Times features an article by reporter Jackie Burrell on Governor Schwarzenegger's Merit Pay Initiative, which is authored by California Club for Growth President Tony Strickland.
It's not coincidental the California Teachers Association is planning on hiking membership dues in order to combat the Governor's initiatives. As the Education Intelligence Agency reported last week, CTA delegates next month will vote on a dues increase of $180 per member over three years to fight Schwarzenegger's education initiatives:
At current membership levels, the increase would put more than $54 million in the union's campaign war chest, in addition to the approximately $11 million already available. Full-time teachers currently pay $533 per year to CTA, of which $36 goes into the union’s ballot initiative fund. CTA will also be seeking cash from the National Education Association, its parent affiliate, which has its own initiative fund for just such a purpose.
Though the money will be extracted from teachers’ paychecks over the next three years, the union plans to use the dues increase from the second and third years, plus a mortgage on its Burlingame headquarters building, as collateral for a loan, so that the full $54 million will be available for this year's initiative campaign season. The dues increase from the next two years will then be used to pay down the debt.
CTA officials are visiting local affiliates throughout the state to generate support for the unprecedented measure, warning teachers that the governor’s plan puts their careers and retirements at stake.
The union also plans to postpone all projects that are not "absolutely necessary" and to cut its regular budget to free up even more staff and resources for the campaign.
The 800 members of the CTA State Council will meet in Los Angeles the weekend of April 8-10 to vote on the proposal.
Comments