California surplus becomes a Biden problem + Recall watch + CSU faculty speaks up for moms
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
CALIFORNIA PROBLEMS
Via David Lightman...
California has collected about $10.5 billion more in tax revenue this fiscal year than expected, giving Washington Republicans fresh ammunition aimed at derailing a huge federal aid package for state and local governments.
But the state’s Democrats continue to maintain the COVID-related aid is badly needed.
The Democratic-run House is expected to vote later this week on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion economic relief plan, which includes $350 billion for state and local governments. California’s state and local governments would get an estimated $41 billion.
If approved, the Senate would consider the package early next month, and its chances are considered good since the Senate has 50 Republicans and 50 members who caucus with the Democrats--and Vice President Kamala Harris, who until last month was a senator from California, would cast a tie-breaking vote.
Despite California’s sunnier budget outlook, its congressional Democrats insist the federal aid is badly needed.
Asked why, Rep. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, answered flatly, “40 million people.”
Garamendi, who was the state’s lieutenant governor during the 2007-09 recession, quickly listed the problems the state faced as the COVID pandemic persists: Unusually high COVID infection rates, schools “in desperate need of assistance…. The entertainment and restaurant industry in California is on its knees.”
That’s not cutting it with Republicans in the Senate, or with right-leaning think tanks. They’re pointing to the California windfall as proof states don’t need the money in Biden’s plan.
“Revenues are pouring into Golden State coffers as the tech industry and the top 1 percent who pay half of the state’s income taxes ride high,” said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, as he argued against the state and local aid.
RECALL WATCH
Via Lara Korte...
Even if the movement to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom qualifies next month, there’s no promise that voters will actually remove him from office in an election.
But political strategists agree that the current stalemate over school reopenings is not good for the embattled governor.
“Is it appropriate to blame the governor? Probably not directly,” Republican consultant Matt Rexroad told The Bee. “But is he getting blamed for it? Absolutely.”
Reasonably, the responsibility for schools staying closed could be split a number of ways. Newsom in December issued a call to action to lawmakers to approve $2 billion in reopening funds, but the February deadline came and went. Even though the Legislature finally drafted a bill last week, Newsom has made it clear that he’s not a fan of the plan, which would mandate reopening for K-6 grades in the red tier or better by April.
Teachers unions want vaccines to reopen, but it’s unclear if it will be possible given the constraints on supply. School districts say the current bill is too burdensome on schools, but lawmakers like Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, say the time for local control is over.
Newsom, during a bill signing with Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President pro Tem Toni Atkins on Tuesday, declined to talk specifics.
“I’m not going to get into any details or in the weeds right now,” he said. “I’m not saying we’re at the one or two yard line, but we’re certainly in the red zone.”
(For those who need it: the red zone is the 20 yards before the goal line in football. So they’re close, but no touchdown).
Meanwhile, the recall continues to garner national interest. The Washington Post’s Helaine Olen on Tuesday wrote in an opinion column that Gavin Newsom needs to “get a grip” on schools before he faces a recall election.
“The time for polite jawboning is long past. Newsom, frankly, looks weak and ineffectual,” writes Olen. “That’s a bad look for any elected official, but that goes double and triple for one facing a recall.”
CFA PENS SCATHING LETTER TO CSU CHANCELLOR
The California Faculty Association has published a scathing letter to California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro, urging him to provide COVID-19 support for the spring term and beyond.
“Faculty are devastatingly depleted. Since the pandemic hit California a year ago, CSU faculty have continued to show up for our students and each other. We know it’s been a while since you have been directly involved in student instruction or service delivery, so we want you to read our stories — to understand the shoes, sneakers, flats, heels, cleats, sandals we stride in daily,” wrote Akhila Ananth, of CSU Los Angeles, and Michelle Soto-Peña, of CSU Stanislaus.
Soto-Peña wrote that she is the mother of a 2-year-old, whose schedule from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. includes little reprieve from home and work responsibilities. She said that she works until midnight catching up and prepping for the day ahead.
Ananth, too, is a parent, and she said that when her nanny and nanny’s children became homeless, she took them in. Ananth said she works out of a used trailer parked in her driveway as a makeshift office.
They promoted a CFA plan to provide one course off, or up to eight hours per week for faculty without instruction duties, such as coaches, counselors and librarians.
“A course release gives not only us relief should a COVID-19-related reason arise, but allows our students to continue their course without a break. Educational excellence expected for our students continues,” they wrote.
You can read the letter for yourself by visiting here.
Toni Molle, speaking on behalf of the Chancellor’s Office, responded to the letter with the following statement:
“The CSU has engaged CFA on the topic of additional COVID-19 related leave. CFA submitted a proposal, which, unfortunately, the CSU was not able to honor, due to the negative impact it would have on students. Their proposal would entail removing established faculty from the classroom several weeks after instruction has already started, causing a disruption to student learning.
“In keeping with the chancellor’s commitment to supporting faculty and staff, the CSU made a very generous offer of additional leave for COVID-19 related issues. This proposal was very similar to the programs the university had in effect for Spring and Fall 2020, and CFA rejected that proposal. To date, CFA has not made any further proposals. We will continue to engage CFA in the hopes of coming to a timely resolution.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Ah yes, because no one screamed ‘qualified’ quite like say...Betsy DeVos. In her confirmation hearing she claimed schools might need guns to CHASE AWAY GRIZZLY BEARS.”
- Gov. Gavin Newsom, with some Twitter sarcasm for Republicans critical of Xavier Becerra’s nomination as Health and Human Services Secretary.
Best of the Bee:
New Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison is pledging to play a larger role in next year’s midterm elections than the group has in more than a decade, hoping a more robust effort from the once-beleaguered party apparatus can help prevent the type of steep electoral losses traditionally suffered by a sitting president, via Alex Roarty and Francesca Chambers.
California public health officials promoted five counties into looser, red-tier COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday, the most significant progress toward reopening within the state’s color-coded tier system in more than three months, via Michael McGough.
The state auditor criticized California’s air-pollution agency for mishandling some of its climate-change programs Tuesday, saying the state is in danger of failing to meet the Legislature’s targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, via Dale Kasler.