Tax increase proposed for Cali state school funds

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/27/MNGMICG0SF1.DTL

State Senate Leader Don Perata, taking a new approach to both the state budget and a weakened Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, called Tuesday for a dramatic increase in spending on education and said he will push for new taxes to repair the state's school system.

The Oakland Democrat called California "miserably behind the curve'' when it comes to school funding, noting that the state ranks in the bottom half of per-pupil spending in the nation. He said that improving schools so California students can compete in a global economy "can't be done on the cheap.''

Perata said he will demand that California increase the amount of money it spends on K-12 education by as much as $4 billion more than the $36 billion Schwarzenegger has budgeted for the coming fiscal year. Perata was not speaking for all Democratic lawmakers, and Republicans and a spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger criticized the call for new spending. But as president of the Senate, he is considered the most powerful Democrat in Sacramento and his position is crucial in budget negotiations.