“Northwest Valley voters need to know Republican Assemblymember Suzette Martinez-Valladares would’ve voted NO on AB1400, [the] CalCare Universal Healthcare bill.” - West Valley People’s Alliance

The glossy mailer that came in the mail looked like part of the first wave of political advertising set to invade our mailboxes as the primary election on June 7, 2022, quickly approaches. Across the front were the words “Protecting California’s Education Funding” along with common education icons. Under Suzette Martinez Valladares’ name (repeated twice for maximum effect) on the back of the mailer, the message continued: “Making sure California can continue its commitment to fully fund education for future generations is a top priority.”

Looking closely at the mailer, it was not actually paid for with the $1,250,00 in campaign funds that Valladares has received since being elected. Instead, you and I paid the postage through the “State of Calif. Assembly.” This would suggest that the costs for printing, creating, and data mining needed to obtain the mailing addresses were also borne by California taxpayers.

It is generally accepted that officeholders may use the mail to update their constituents about issues that are currently before them. As admitted in the text of the mailing, this is not the case. Despite the front of the mailer referencing education, the opening paragraph states that “some in Sacramento pushed forward an effort to create a single-payer healthcare system” but that “this effort had failed.” Unfortunately for those of us who believe that all people should have access to healthcare, even if they cannot afford it, the issue is dead. There is nothing to update.

Instead of explaining her stated intention to vote against the bill, Valladares goes on to use alternative facts to rally against a bill that does not exist. Apparently, election integrity is not the only thing that the Republican Assemblywoman is willing to lie about.

According to Valladares, the CalCare Universal Healthcare bill would have jeopardized education funding in the state. She makes this claim based on the fact that the bill would have exempted the funds raised, which were essentially premiums for a state-controlled health insurance system, from Prop 98. This proposition, which was opposed by Republican Governor George Deukmejian when it came before the voters in 1988, guarantees that “about 40% of all state revenues be spent on education.”

The claim that exempting funds collected specifically to provide health insurance for all Californians would have somehow “[shortchanged] education funding for kids” is complete bulls**t. Education funding would have stayed at the same (insufficient) level that it is currently at. There would have been no change caused by the passage of this bill.

Ironically, leaving out the provision to exempt the premiums collected under this bill would have exacerbated the one complaint that Valladares levels against it, that it would have been “the largest tax increase in state history.” Without sidestepping Prop 98’s funding requirement, the tax hike would have been 40% higher. While the health care portion of this hike would have been mitigated by the fact that Californian citizens, or their employers, would no longer have to pay for health insurance premiums, the increase in taxes to pay for education favored by Valladares would have no offset.

If Valladares is serious about ensuring that California’s education system is really adequately funded, then she needs to step up as a member of the California State Assembly. Prop 13 needs to be reformed so that large corporations pay their fair share. The state should do more to fund special education services, which do not receive the funding from the federal government that has been promised but not delivered for decades. She could also remove herself from the pockets of the charter school industry and demand fiscal accountability for these publicly funded private schools.

My guess is that Valladares will do none of the above. She is not really interested in “protecting California’s education funding.” Education was just a useful tool in preventing universal access to healthcare.

Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.