Loma Linda, Redlands Teachers Unite to Keep School Funding

On Friday, more than 1,000 educators, Inland Empire public employees and community representatives are expected to rally together to deliver a message to legislators; California’s educational system is facing a crisis.

The rally is scheduled at 4 p.m. Friday at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino. It is part of the State of Emergency campaign launched by the California Teachers Association, to push California legislators off the idea of making further budget cuts to education.

Supporters of the campaign are asking the legislature to extend current taxes to “avoid the catastrophe of an all-cuts budget.”

“We are living in a state of emergency,” said David A. Sanchez, president of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association. “Educators, parents and community leaders are fighting back against state budget cuts that are decimating our schools, public safety and health care services. To protect essential public services, the legislature must finish the job of resolving the state budget crisis by extending current tax rates legislatively. Time is running out for our students and our communities.”

The rally, to be held at the National Orange Show and Event Center, is expected to draw fire, police and students, said Sandra Kubitza, member of Redlands Teacher Association and the association's Service Representative for San Gorgonio region.

“Everybody who is affected by the budget, or lack-there-of, is invited to come,” she said. “We would love to see our city council people from Redlands, Loma Linda and Highland where our schools are.”

At issue are the temporary sales, personal income and vehicle taxes put in place two years ago that are set to expire June 30. The revenue was meant to alleviate the ongoing deficit. Among the services the tax money has saved from major slashing is police and emergency services and education. Governor Jerry Brown is pushing to put a five-year extension on a ballot.

“The people of tomorrow, those who are going to run the world, need to be educated appropriately and properly with as much money,” she said. “Hopefully we can figure out different places where we can work the budget so that schools don’t suffer.”

But not everyone is convinced. Phillip Naman, a member of the Redlands Tea Party Patriots and local businessman, said the money stream is drying up.

“Those of us in the private sector who are supporting the entire public sector, we’re done,” he said.  “People are moving their companies out of state. They’re selling their real estate.”

Members began to spread the word about the rally, though its unlikely the Tea Party group will organize anything in answer to their rally, Naman said. But most of their members have seen the harm of the taxes and the drain it has put on the business community.

“I would like to see what the unions can propose to fix the problem and not kick it down the road and give us these temporary tax increases so sometime later we can deal with it,” he said.

Naman is a financial planner and adviser and said many business owners have told him no one is happy with what’s going on.

“Many of them are trying to figure out how to move their business to Texas, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, anyplace else so they can walk away from this place,” he said.

Friday’s rally begins at 4 p.m.  The National Orange Show Events Center is 689 South E Street. 13-year-old guitar player and vocalist Julian Sibby will perform original songs and 12-year-old student Olivia Cichocki will perform the national anthem.

The event will also feature a variety of speakers, according to a news release by the California Teachers Association.