Hot for Teachers

Hot for Teachers w/ Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green from Megan Fox

This one was passed on by a friend of mine - it was shot, directed and produced by the parents and kids at her son's school here in the Los Angeles area. (That's the real principal at the start.) You can see the full credits if you click the tab here.

As Robert Cruickshank notes at Calitics:

What the video shows, once again, is that Californians do not support Arnold Schwarzenegger or his budget cuts. They just don't. The polls that have been done so far indicate that the public prefers higher taxes to cutting K-12 budgets, and while nobody seems to have asked "do you support the $17 billion in education cuts made since 2008?" such a poll would likely find widespread public opposition and outrage. There's a reason Arnold's disapproval rating is at a record level of over 70%.

David Dayen has a few more California stories.

In California, two-thirds of the legislature is needed to raise taxes, and a zealous minority won't, regardless of the circumstances. Meanwhile, many in the same crowd are always eager to cut education, the arts and social services. I heard from another friend about cuts at UCLA, and people who'd worked there for 30 years being let go. It's horrible. Ask any police chief about the value of after-school programs, and how they're much cheaper than prisons. Ask the experts on the value of a good education on brain development, life skills, earning potential, citizenship and creativity. The K-12 years are the most important, but Californians used to take a great deal of justifiable pride in the state university system. These cuts will cost California a great deal in the future.

The Republican candidates for governor are running non-stop TV ads decrying "liberal failure" in Sacramento. While California Democrats certainly have their faults, California is basically Reaganomics in action – deficit spending and decreased taxes on the wealthy. Everyone tightening their belts would be one thing, but for the most part, it's those who can least afford it that are getting hit the hardest.

Here's the Say No to Cuts petition.