Prop 53’s failure called victory for schools, classes

By Sara Pacheco

Proposition 53 failed to pass in Tuesday’s California gubernatorial recall election after more than 64 percent of voters voted against it.

Proposition 53, written by Assembly members Keith Richman and Joe Canciamilla, was designed to provide a specific fund in order to construct, modernize and maintain California infrastructure. It includes elements in education that could have affected Fresno State and other local schools if it had passed.

David Kersten, a representative of the Coalition Against Proposition 53, said its defeat is a major victory for schools.

“ Proposition 53 would have required billions and billions of dollars to be transferred from the general fund to this infrastructure fund,” Kersten said. “And unless taxes were raised, Proposition 53’s spending would come right out of education, higher education, health care, public safety and other programs and services funded by the general fund.”

Kersten said that overall, none of the potential billions of dollars in spending that Proposition 53 might have done would have gone to K-12 education and community colleges. This, in turn, brings up what Proposition 53 would have done for Fresno State and other state universities and colleges alike.

“ [The money] could have gone to state colleges and the UC system but there would be no guarantee that the money would be spent wisely because there is no accountability built into the measure,” Kersten said.

Kersten also said that in order to improve California’s schools and colleges, the state budget needs to be balanced better for the long term.

Other elements involved with Proposition 53 say that the governor and California legislature would have needed to provide for infrastructure projects that include providing for roads, bridges and water pipelines. Police and fire stations also would have been provided for had Proposition 53 passed in Tuesday's election.

As written, Proposition 53 would have had a “pay as you go” system that would begin having set-asides at 1 percent and gradually growing to a 3 percent maximum.

After the 3-percent rate had been met, the rate would remain fixed.

The Official Voter Information Guide from Tuesday's election says that “set-asides are subject to increase, decrease, or suspension with revenue increases and decreases.”

Proposition 53 had the potential to transfer more than $850 million between the general fund and the proposed infrastructure fund in 2006-07. Future years would have potentially increased spending to billions to fund infrastructure in California.