What's going on with the California Teachers Union?

On the evening of Monday, May 9, 2011, 68 Bay Area college students, public school teachers, and their supporters chanting “Tax the Rich! That will fix the deficit!” were arrested for occupying and refusing to leave the state capitol building... Although this happened on the first day of a “Week of Action” called by the California Teachers Association (CTA) to protest cuts to state funding for K-12 education, CTA leadership walked away from the occupiers and literally pulled CTA members out of the Rotunda, saying that the protesters were “not on message”... Yet three days later, CTA president David Sanchez and several other CTA leaders were arrested for sitting in at the offices of Republican state legislature leaders Robert Dutton and Connie Conway...

If you feel confused, you’re not alone. I’ve gotten phone calls and emails from around the country asking, “What the heck is going on in Sacramento...?” So here’s what’s going on. CTA leadership’s strategy all along has been to throw their full support behind Democratic governor Jerry Brown. Last year, California labor unions contributed $20 million to Brown’s gubernatorial campaign last year. CTA was one of the biggest contributors. But as soon as Brown was elected, he started talking up the need for austerity...

So the argument in Sacramento has been between Brown — who wants to extend Schwarzenegger’s soak-the-poor taxes for another five years — and the Republicans — who call for more program cuts instead of more taxes. Two rotten choices, right? Well, CTA leadership is openly and ardently demanding immediate approval of Brown’s tax package. Brown warns, “There is no other alternative. We all must sacrifice.” And CTA agrees: “We must fight for this budget..."

However, it’s hardly a secret that not everyone is sacrificing. Not the banks — huge bailout and rip-off of taxpayer money, record profits, big bonuses, minimal taxes. Not the oil companies (especially in California, the only oil-producing state without an oil extraction tax). Not corporations (more than half of all profitable California corporations pay no state income tax). Not the rich (state income tax is lower now than it was under Republican governors Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson). Making the banks, corporations and the rich pay would provide the money needed to restore and expand all essential programs and rescind all layoffs. In fact, the Brown / Sanchez call for “shared sacrifice” was so hollow that even many long-time supporters of the CTA leadership (and of the Democrats) bridled.... But CTA leadership never had any intention of a massive mobilization to Sacramento for their “Week of Action”...

http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=2270§ion=Article

And at least he doesn't seem to rise to the level of hypocrisy of what sometimes seems like the vast majority of our politicians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Brown#Governor_of_California_.281975.E2.80.931983.29

Upon taking office, Brown gained a reputation as a fiscal conservative.<12> The American Conservative later noted he was "much more of a fiscal conservative than Governor Reagan."<13> His fiscal restraint resulted in one of the biggest budget surpluses in state history, roughly $5 billion.<14><15> For his personal life, Brown refused many of the privileges and perks of the office, forgoing the newly constructed governor's residence and instead renting a modest apartment at the corner of 14th and N Streets, adjacent to Capitol Park in downtown Sacramento.<16> Instead of riding as a passenger in a chauffeured limousine as previous governors had done, Brown drove to work in a Plymouth Satellite sedan.<17><18>

That's my suspicion. I'm FB friends with one of the teachers who was arrested, and her group was part of UTLA, which is more working-class oriented and radical.


My school in the burbs passed out leaflets in support of the tax-extension. I told the art teacher that I thought people like Larry Ellison should be paying more taxes and she looked at me like I'd sprouted another head.