Socialized Preschool Losing Support

Perata has second thoughts on preschool initiative
By Kevin Yamamura, Sacramento Bee 2/28/06

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, one of the state's leading Democrats, said Tuesday he is reconsidering his support for a June universal preschool ballot proposal in another blow to Rob Reiner's initiative campaign.

The full story here.

I had previously asked if Democrats would have the courage to openly oppose Rob Reiner's socialized preschool initiative (now Prop. 82). I am glad to see that Senate Pro Tem Don Perata is moving in that direction. I can’t say that Senator Perata’s reasoning is sound; he thinks that a lack of means testing is the problem. Translated… he thinks that it is unfair to take from the “rich” and give to the middle class; after all, real socialism calls for more extreme redistribution of wealth. Perhaps concerns raised by many in the education community that dumping billions into preschool is not good for a struggling K-12 system is the real reason driving some common sense into elected Democrats, and now they are scrambling for reasons to run away from Prop. 82.