The head of the California Teachers Association said he anticipates his union will put "considerable" money into Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure, but funds may be tighter than usual as the group faces different ballot battles.
CTA President Dean E. Vogel said Sunday the union is focused on fighting a November measure that would restrict member dues collection and spending on candidate campaigns. He said CTA is also waiting to see whether a new proposal to cap future state spending will qualify for the ballot, a proposal the group would also fight.
The union officially agreed Sunday to back Brown's plan to raise sales taxes and income taxes on wealthy earners.
CTA previously imposed a $60 annual surcharge on members for three years to raise $50 million to defeat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a 2005 special election, which included measures to restrict union dues and cap state spending. But Vogel said this time is different.
"The last time in this position we did a special assessment to get more money," Vogel said. "but we're not in a position to get more money right now."
Vogel said CTA will probably decide in March how to divide its funds this year.
"We're going to wait and see what things are looking like," he said. "We believe because of the broad-based appeal (Brown's) initiative has, it's going to qualify. We're very concerned about a potential spending cap initiative and how that's going to play out."
"Eventually I would anticipate we would put considerable money in," he said of the tax measure campaign.
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