May 19 Ads Hit the Airwaves

The first ads for the May 19th Special Election have started to pop up on radio stations across the state.

The first ad from the Schwarzenegger backed Budget Reform Now is titled "Bad News"

The ad from the governor's group starts with a montage of quick news reports about teacher layoffs, rising unemployment and senior health care cuts and then says that "We can bring sanity and stability to our budget process" and "help protect against even higher taxes" by backing Props 1A-1F.

The next ads come from the California Teachers Association urging a Yes vote on both Prop 1A $ 1B

"Wait a Minute"

Since Prop. 1B, which guarantees $9.3 billion in repayments to schools, doesn't take effect unless the Prop. 1A spending cap passes, the teachers' spot features a man telling a woman that "Prop. 1A is going to help our state budget and if we adopt Prop. 1A then Prop. 1B can begin paying back some of the gigantic cuts that have hurt our schools."

"Twenty-Seven Thousand"

The second spot by the CTA's group a bit less Pollyannaish, focusing on potential teacher layoffs and featuring a parent arguing that "The education cuts have got to stop and you can help by supporting Proposition 1A and Proposition 1B."

I see where the teachers are coming from, and in the short term, these bills will help them. In the long term however, this Prop 1A spending cap could screw everybody.

via SFGate: Politics Blog