Dropout rate at LAUSD's Jefferson High: 58 percent, http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_10245214 , By Christina Hoag The Associated Press, Posted: 08/19/2008, is an example of the problem very prominent when education and LAUSD are mentioned. The job of education and the results do not do much for putting teachers in a good light, fairly or unfairly so. This is something that a high dropout rate represents: a failure. The story is from the beginning of the academic year and little changes have happened except for the decision this week to reduce the LAUSD corps of teachers due to budget cuts.
Teachers, through their unions, are rumored to be spending money for a ballot measure to raise the state sales tax again. I don't expect that the winds of popular opinion favor that move, but stranger things have happened, like the approval of the measures for bullet train to San Francisco and for the Subway to the Sea, both creating enormous debt- some paid by sales taxes and other parts by bonds to be left to another generation to finish paying it off. Meanwhile, there's going to be a long wait for the completion, as the Subway is going to take about 32 years to finish- but the costs will be rolling in all the way until it's done and paid for.
Bonds aren't free, but too many voters see the ballot for the first time at the polling place and see the language put there for a reason, and say to themselves, "Sounds like a good idea," and vote for it. The whole education process leaves a void when it comes to this giving information on this process for the citizen as a voter.
But the proposal isn't for a bond, like the $7 Billion LAUSD proposal passed by the voters very recently. Instead, it's for a sales tax, so the pain will be immediately felt and in a big way for many if it passes. Another point to add on taxes, and that would be to remember "sales taxes" are "regressive taxes" meaning that they impact more on people with lower income more than those with higher incomes. It sounds like it should be fair and that's what proponents of sales taxe measures like to have you think. See the Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regressive_tax for more on this.
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