The Sacramento Bee reports: “Assembly Democrats on Tuesday called for tax hikes for the state’s top earners in order to pour $3 billion more into public schools, laying the groundwork for a summer budget standoff with Republican lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Although polls show California voters favor boosting taxes on upper-income earners to pay for schools, Schwarzenegger has said he will not support it. Republican lawmakers, who hold enough votes in the Legislature to block a tax increase, immediately balked at the plan.

But Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said Democrats have “looked at every other option” and determined the increases are vital.

Looked at every other option? y’dont say…

Never heard a Democrat utter the words: reduced spending.

“Assembly Democrats are not afraid to cast the hard votes necessary to increase revenues when those revenues will be used to fund public education,” Núñez said. “We are not going to shortchange our schools of the resources that they need to educate our children.”

Have you ever heard such self-serving drivel? Trying to make “tax-and-spend” sound valorous. It’s disgusting.

“Not afraid” to increase taxes? Of course not. That’s what Democrats do.

On Tuesday, as Democrats unveiled their school spending plan at Sutter Middle School, Schwarzenegger was showcasing his plans to boost teacher training in math and science.

Schwarzenegger’s $115.7 billion budget proposal would increase school funding almost $3 billion from the current fiscal year. But education officials and legislative Democrats are asking for $3 billion more that they said the governor promised under an agreement last year but did not include in his current budget plans.

Schools need more discipline before getting more funding.

Núñez said Democrats “mean business” and plan to try to add $3 billion more to schools “one way or another.” If they cannot win support for the tax hike proposal, Núñez said they will ask the governor to use deficit bonds authorized by voters last year but that Schwarzenegger’s latest budget plan does not tap.

“If the Republicans are going to draw the line in the sand … we are going to find another way to fund education,” he said. “It’s not going to be the most fiscally prudent, but we’re going to find another way to do it.”

What a joke. But it ain’t funny.

Gov. Schwarzenegger put a plan on the table. Democrats rejected it. Special interests prevail.

Instead of tackling the problem at its root (e.g. the teachers unions, merit pay, and raising standards), it’s obvious that Democrats see “education reform” as they see everything else: spending more taxpayers’ money.

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