Breaking Down Prop. 30 and Prop. 32 - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The November ballot is pitting schools against small business in California. Teachers rallied in front of Santa Maria Union High School in attempt to push Governor Jerry Brown's proposition 30 forward and push down proposition 32.

For California teachers like Gayle Biley, the passage of Prop. 30 means the difference between more money for the classroom or more cuts. "In this area alone, it looks like about $20 million dollars cut from this local economy if this doesn't pass," said Biley.

Prop. 30 would raise taxes on people who make more than $250,000 a year for the next seven years.  It would also raise the state's sales tax by a quarter of a cent over four years. The revenue made from the tax would go toward education.

But small business owners said they can barely make it on their own and the tax increase will destroy their businesses and kill jobs.  

A local taxpayer associations say while states that are lowering taxes are starting to prosper, California wants to raise its taxes by $50 billion over the next 7 years.

The California Teachers Association doesn't support Prop. 32 aimed at limiting special interest money for political campaigns that come from union and corporation payrolls.

Teachers say it cuts off their voice in Sacramento. They say the problem is corporations don't use payroll deductions but unions do.

People in unions can opt in to contribute a small percentage of their paychecks to contribute to political campaigns.