Contacts: Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324 or Sandra Jackson, 916-325-1550
BURLINGAME – Today, as public schools face devastating cuts and parents scramble to pay income taxes by midnight in these harsh economic times, the California Teachers Association is close to qualifying a measure for the November ballot to repeal nearly $2 billion in corporate tax breaks approved by the Legislature last year.
“The Repeal Corporate Tax Loophole Act should have enough signatures to qualify in a few weeks, due to the mobilizing by California educators statewide who are upset about the injustice of corporations and big oil companies not paying their fair share,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member CTA.
“It’s outrageous that lawmakers last year approved this sweetheart deal negotiated in secret to give nearly $2 billion in tax breaks to large corporations when public schools have been cut $17 billion the last two years and the state faces a $20 billion budget deficit,” Sanchez said. “The Repeal Corporate Tax Loopholes Act will make sure corporations pay their fair share of state taxes, and will help provide some urgently needed school funding.”
Adding insult to injury, California's public school districts this spring have issued 26,000 preliminary pink slips for educators due to the massive state budget deficit; districts must make final teacher job cuts by May 15. The governor also wants another $2.5 billion in education cuts in his proposed budget and is reneging on an agreement signed into law last summer to restore $11.2 billion owed to public schools under Proposition 98, the state's minimum school funding guarantee law.
CTA members will speak out about closing corporate tax loopholes today when they join marchers protesting tax scofflaws as part of a “no free lunch” rally in Sacramento County. The marchers are part of the California Federation of Teachers' six-week, 365-mile “March for California's Future” through the Central Valley that culminates April 21 with a huge State Capitol rally. The CFT Tax Day rally is at 3:30 p.m. today at Galt High School, 145 North Lincoln Way, Galt. Dana Dillon, a teacher in Siskiyou County and a member of the CTA board of directors, will join members of the CFT's Galt Federation of Teachers in speaking out against state cuts at the rally.
Find out more about the Repeal Corporate Tax Loopholes Act at www.paytheirfairshare.com.