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The two big issues in California

A while back I read an interview of an economist who identified two issues of greatest economic importance:

Two things, I think, things that people are missing and that, if we keep ignoring them, are so dangerous that they could kill our economy: immigration and education.

That was waaaaay back in 1997.  And today?

Californians are increasingly frustrated and dissatisfied with their public school system, and so skeptical about government’s ability to spend money wisely that they oppose any general tax increase to improve education, according to a statewide poll scheduled for release today..

Nearly two in three Californians believe the quality of education is a major problem for the state, and only one issue — immigration — is seen as a higher priority for state government, according to the poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. More than nine in 10 people surveyed said education was shaping up as an important issue in the upcoming race for governor.

We’re not terribly surprised the man on the street agrees (albeit probably for different reasons in the case of immigration).  But will even this significant public sentiment translate to some action in Sacramento?  On one hand, optimism is a bit hard to come by.  Lest we forget, Arnold Schwarzenegger was here just a fortnight ago.  Remember those ballot proposals from last November–one of them a proposal to stiffen requirements for teacher tenure?  The message from the NEA: don’t you lay a finger on us, understand?  

That defeat, coupled with overall poor public opinion of Schwarzenegger when he’s up for reelection, might leave us with the impression that he’s too busy fighting for political survival to pick another fight with the union.  But with the Governator publicly supporting Villaraigosa’s takeover proposal, it seems Schwarzenegger is ready for a second round. 

And, of course, we have a dog in this race: aside from the possible LAUSD takeover, we (meaning the Alliance of School Choice) and CURE filed legal action against the LA and Compton school districts.  (Go here and here for discussion on the filing.) 

Bottom line: after years of merely throwing money at the education crisis, could legal prodding and Villaraigosa’s proposed shakeup force Sacramento to try something different for a change?  Here’s hoping, anyway.