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                     MARCH 2007                      

The Waiting Game

Those of us who have had middle age thrust upon us, (we didn't get here on our own for goodness sake) begin to face what I like to call "Economic Milestones".  Several months ago I faced one myself  at a local Shell Station.  While I was getting gas, watching and waiting as the dollar amount whizzed by with such blinding speed I could hardly read the digits as the amount grew until that long-anticipated click consummated our financial compact, I realized that I had just pumped more money into the car than I had paid for the monthly payment on my first car!  I was torn by two realities;  boy, gas sure is expensive, and, man,  I'm sure getting old....  Such were my reactions to the reality of the Governor's initial budget as compared to the latest news from Sacramento.

Initially, the statewide budget appeared solid, and predictions of the Cost Of living Adjustment (COLA) were hovering around the 4% level.  In the last few years, those numbers held relatively well, so many anticipated it would be so again.  Unfortunately, it appears those projections related to state income tax are already $1 billion below forecasts just since December.  Given the fact that the State of California manages a general fund budget in excess of 100 billion dollars, one billion seems a small amount.  However, there are concerns raised in various circles that the preliminary COLA amount will not hold. As educators, we always know that the May Revised budget is the one that counts, and we patiently (at times) await the inevitable announcement.

So for teachers, it's a wait and see game at this point, with the hope that our only surprise this time is that on this issue, our Governor was right all along.