At the moment the vote for the Tax Plan will take place in November, so all we can do is wait.

The public schools of California are in danger of a huge cut that will severely limit their capabilities. Jerry Brown has already cut vital funds from the public schools of California, and he is willing to cut public schools AGAIN if his new tax hike proposal DOES NOT pass.

Jerry Brown has stated if his new tax hike proposal does not pass, $4.8 billion will be cut from all public schools across California, equivalent to 3 weeks being cut from the education of every student who attends a public school.

This tax hike proposal is an initiative to close a $9.2 billion gap through the use of raising levies on upper-income earners and increasing the state’s sales tax by half a cent.

There would be a 1% tax increase on individual income above $250,000 a year. Individuals making between $300,000 and $500,000 would be taxed an additional 1.5% for that income. And those making more than $500,000 would see an additional 2% hike. The plan is expected to make about $7 billion over 5 years.

The $7 billion would be pumped into many state projects, but most importantly part of it would go directly towards education.

Why shouldn't it pass?

California is already the third highest taxed state, and this is resulting in many businesses leaving California to go elsewhere. If businesses leave, jobs are lost, and the majority of the tax base is shrinking. The plan is also facing opposition from anti-tax advocates and small business owners.

So what if it doesn't pass?

Are voters of California willing to allow a $4.8 billion cut across public schools, resulting in possible:

Layoffs of thousands of teachers, insufficient basic materials for schools, outdated technology in a time of the greatest technological advances in history, cuts in transportation when thousands of children take an hour long bus ride to get to school because many families can not afford cars, discontinuation to ROP programs and career based programs, cuts to ESL programs (English second language students) , cuts to programs keeping students on track ex: AVID, and most importantly, the possible cut to school days resulting in the disappearance of 3 weeks worth of education.

Jerry Brown said "This is not nice stuff — but that's what it takes to balance the budget — and that's assuming we get the revenues."

Tell Gov. Jerry Brown through this petition, he is not just gambling with re-election at the hands of millions of people that are pro-education, when he cuts the education of students across California, he is not just simply cutting 3 weeks of average class time in a average school, he is cutting the opportunity and future of over six million bright, capable, and passionate students of California.