Shocker: California Teacher's Association Backs Higher Taxes

Of course I'm being satirical with that headline, but the way it was reported Monday night on the local news you'd think this was a major victory for Gov. Moonbeam.  If Jerry Brown reinstated slavery the CTA would endorse his idea on the basis that the "slaves will finally get the educational opportunities they so desperately need.":

The California Teachers Association officially agreed Sunday to back Gov. Jerry Brown's multibillion-dollar tax plan, which should provide the governor hefty financial support for his fall campaign.

The union represents 325,000 teachers and education workers, and it is a heavy hitter in state politics. Brown is gathering signatures for a November initiative to raise sales taxes by a half-cent and income taxes on high-income earners. He has structured his budget so schools would face a $2.4 billion program cut in 2012-13 if voters reject his proposal, which he says is equal to three weeks off the school year.

The Democratic governor now has support from the state's two most powerful public employee unions, the CTA and the Service Employees International Union State Council. The SEIU has not made its support public, but CTA President Dean E. Vogel told his members on Saturday that the "SEIU State Council has already taken a support position," according to a text of his speech.

Major state-funded unions will always support higher taxes and will never support a reduction in the size of government at any level.