Today, I took part in a local protest along with dozens of teachers, parents and children facing the (new) potential budget cuts to education in California.

I took lots of photos, which you can see on my Facebook page. However, the most revealing one in my opinion was the one I included here, which had a father of a student holding up a sign that read “It’s a Priorities Problem.”

The state Government doesn’t have a spending problem. It has a PRIORITIES problem: what it’s valuing most and what it’s willing to do for that vs. what it’s willing to do to maintain (and improve) public education.

What can YOU do?

• Call your state legislators (1-888-268-4334): tell them to think like Oregonians! In Oregon, on January 26, to protect public education and other vital social services, voters passed two ballot measures that raised taxes on those with the highest incomes and corporations.
• Read about progressive tax alternatives to cuts: www.cft.org
• Talk to everyone around you (family, neighbors, friends) about the issues.
• Support the 48-day March for California’s Future and follow it.