Calmer Water In a Sea of Trouble
by David Yancey, FA, AFT 6157 President

It hasn’t been very often lately that I have had the opportunity to pass along some good news. Well today I can. Now don’t run off and buy a new house, or maybe you should if you can afford it, because this is a little dab of good news. The figures we are getting from the state regarding incoming revenue for the state are encouraging. For example;

1. Stated General Fund revenue is up 2.3 Billion dollars (4.1%) over projections

2. State Taxes are up 792 Million dollars (16%) above projections

3. Income tax revenue is up 837 Million dollars (3 ½ /%) over projections

4. Sales tax receipts are up a total of 2.4 % over projections.

These figures are as of the end of the first quarter and we are all waiting for the May Revise from the Governor, due May 14, 2010, to see how these increased numbers may affect his view of the budgetary condition we are facing.

I want to caution everyone that these interesting and certainly hopeful numbers are not a clear signal that the bottom has been found or that we are quickly on our way out of this budgetary morass. However, they indicate at least the potential for a turnaround and that is good news. Instead of continuing to decline, at least in these last few months, we have some positive indicators to boost our morale. These numbers may also indicate that there will not be another deficit reduction in the amount of money that our District receives from Proposition 98 funds.

How this will affect our local budgetary situation is of course still to be determined that the FA, AFT 6157 and the rest of the District Budget Committee members should know more now that the 3^rd Quarter Budget Report is available. Rest assured that your union and the other members of this committee are working to make good recommendations to the Board of Trustees based on your input and the figures we see on the budget reports.

The elephant in the room is, of course, the possibility of collective bargaining give backs to help the district survive. Those decisions will wait until the final budget reports are filed at the end of June. At that time we will evaluate where we are and what might be required next.

Thank you for your patience and your hard work to move this district and the needs of our students forward under such difficult circumstances.