Atascadero USD:

My name is ________. I have children in Atascadero Unified School District. The proposed budget means we may have 34 fewer teachers and counselors next year; elementary school teachers, English teachers, Math teachers, Social Science teachers, a PE teacher, Learning Center teachers, and Independent Study teachers. We will have less supplementary counselors. This will seriously impact the size of classes at all levels, and means that at the middle and high school there may be less electives for our students to choose from.

Other budget cuts being considered are Intervention programs, enrichment programs, increased walking distance for home to school transportation, eliminating class size reduction, closing schools, reducing the allocation for classroom supplies and materials, and/or eliminating a probation officer.

Please honor the voters’ wish to keep the Constitutional guarantee for minimum education funding in tact – do not cut education funding.

Coast USD:

My name is ________, and I have children in Coast Unified School District. The proposed budget means we will are losing a half-time P.E. teacher and reading tutors at the elementary level, a two-thirds time reading/math teacher and reducing the time of a resource/science teacher at the middle school, and losing transportation for the ROP Culinary Arts program. This will seriously impact many of our students. We will also be postponing the needed replacement of bleachers at the Middle School and purchase of a new bus.

Please honor the voters’ wish to keep the Constitutional guarantee for minimum education funding in tact – do not cut education funding.

Lucia Mar USD:

My name is ________. I have children in Lucia Mar USD. On top of declining enrollment, the proposed budget means we will have fewer quality teachers next year; at the elementary, at middle school, and at high school. We will be forced to use our reserves to meet next year's payroll. If something big doesn't change in the State budget for next year, Lucia Mar will be identifying up to 43 classroom positions to cut.

Please honor the voters’ wish to keep the Constitutional guarantee for minimum education funding in tact – do not cut education funding.

Paso Robles JUSD:

My name is ________. I have children in Paso Robles Public Schools. The proposed budget means we will have 21 fewer quality teachers next year; 5 at the elementary, 11 at middle school, and 5 at high school. Also, we will not be filling 10 positions from teachers retiring, resigning, or taking a leave of absence. This will seriously impact the size of classes at all levels, and means that at the middle and high school there may be less electives for our students to choose from.

Please honor the voters’ wish to keep the Constitutional guarantee for minimum education funding in tact – do not cut education funding.

Shandon JUSD:

My name is ________, and I have children in Shandon JUSD. The proposed budget means we will are losing two part-time teachers, two first-year teachers, and two permanent teachers. Our socio-economically disadvantaged students lose support, our elementary students lose a P.E. teacher and a full-time teacher, our middle school students lose a social science teacher; our special ed students lose a full-time teacher, and our community school students lose a very effective full-time teacher. This will very negatively impact many of our students.

Please honor the voters’ wish to keep the Constitutional guarantee for minimum education funding intact – do not cut education funding.

From a business person:

My name is ________, and I am in business in _________. I am writing about the State budget proposed in January. There is a serious flaw in an across-the-board approach.

If I were to be faced with a dramatic reduction in my sales, I would not be able to write my landlord and say I was going to reduce my rent payments by 10%. I would not be able to retain my staff after giving them all a 10% cut in pay. It might, however, be possible to cut some other costs to make up the difference.  The cuts would have to be given priorities. Additionally, I would also need to seek some new sales to compensate for the loss.

Priorities must be determined for the State budget as well, and seeking additional funding sources should be examined too. We elected (hired) our legislators for just this purpose – get to work!

Sample wording for e-mails and written letters

Text in Word ® format

Idea for writing to the Governor:

As the parent of one of the six million students in California, I strongly OPPOSE your proposed budget. An across the board cut is lazy government. I prioritize my family’s budget and you should prioritize the state’s budget.

• The San Luis Obispo County Education Coalition opposes any cuts to education and children’s programs in the state budget.
• This budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children without even examining the consequences of an across the board cut.
• Our children did not create this financial crisis and they should not have to pay for it.

Please do the right thing for California's children. Keep any budget cuts away from children. Their future is the economic future of the state.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Idea for writing to our Legislators:

As the parent of one of the six million students in California, I ask that you strongly OPPOSE Governor’s proposed budget.

• The San Luis Obispo Education Coalition opposes any cuts to education and children’s programs in the state budget.
• This budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children.
• Our children did not create this financial crisis and they should not have to pay for it.

Please do the right thing for California's children. OPPOSE any cuts to education and children’s programs in the budget.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Links and addresses to your elected representatives

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160
Website: gov.ca.gov/interact

Senator Abel Maldonado (R)
State Capitol, Room 4082
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-4015 Fax: (916) 445-8081
E-mail: Senator.Maldonado@senate.ca.gov

1356 Marsh Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 549-3784 Fax: (805) 549-3779

Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R)
State Capitol, Room 4117
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 319-2033 Fax: (916) 319-2133
E-mail: Assemblymember.blakeslee@assembly.ca.gov

1104 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 5493381 Fax: (805) 549-3400

County Board of Supervisors
Contact: www.slocounty.ca.gov/bos/BOSContactUs

Paso Robles Press (Paso Robles)
E-mail: news@pasoroblespress.com

Atascadero News (Atascadero)
E-mail: editor@atascaderonews.com

The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)
E-mail: letters@thetribunenews.com

New Times (San Luis Obispo)
Contact: www.newtimes-slo.com/index.php?p=contact&id=5

Times-Press-Recorder (So. SLO County)
E-mail: eslater@timespressrecorder.com

Santa Maria Times (So. SLO County)
Contact: www.santamariatimes.com/contact/letter/