A Strategy for 76

According to most opinion polls, Proposition 76 is hurting--the least likely to pass of the governor's four main initiatives. In the Sacramento Bee today Andy Furillo discusses Schwarzenegger's new tack on the initiative. "What is important is to vote yes on Proposition 76 because then they do not have to go out and buy school supplies any more, because we will do it," Schwarzenegger said, unloading a shopping cart at the GW School Supply Store while the teachers beamed. "Because any time you get one-time money and we have good revenues, we will be able to fund school supplies and pay for all those things. ... Under the current system, we don't do that. One-time money is not being used. We use it for other things, but not for these kind of things where it ought to be used, which is for education and for school supplies." While that might be a good strategy, it seems a hard sell--especially when voters actually see the ballot title and summary: STATE SPENDING AND SCHOOL FUNDING LIMITS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. *Limits state spending to prior year’s level plus three previous years’ average revenue growth. *Changes state minimum school funding requirements (Proposition 98); eliminates repayment requirement when minimum funding suspended. And that will be the last thing voters see before they vote (thanks to Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer), not Schwarzenegger's school funding increase message. Lockyer's office certainly helped the No side with his title and summary.