Gray Davis, who just a few short years ago was lauded in some circles as the education governor, is proposing major cuts to school funding that would hit the local school districts extremely hard in the 2003-04 school year.

If the state Legislature approves the governor's plan, class-size reduction programs will be impacted, summer school programs will be dropped, special education classes will be affected and teachers will lose their jobs.

Money will not be available for school safety spending, school site improvements, the purchase of instructional and school library materials or the Gifted And Talented Education programs.

This is the same governor who proposes to shift the revenues generated by vehicle licensing fees away from local governments to fund other state programs. In Los Gatos, that shift would represent a potential 7 percent reduction to the town's general fund and would jeopardize the level of police, fire, emergency medical and health care services available to residents.

And this is the same governor who, just over two years ago, was sitting on an enormous state budget surplus that was coveted by so many agencies, only to be squandered away during the so-called energy crisis of 2001.

What is this governor thinking about? Raiding funds from local municipalities and schoolchildren to fund other programs in the state? There has to be a better way.

The good thing is that it's not too late to do something about all of this. Davis' proposals for cuts to education funding and for a shift in vehicle license fee revenues must be approved by the state Legislature. Residents should contact their state representatives and urge them to oppose the governor's proposals that will adversely affect the lives of all Californians. Visit www.ca.gov under the "Government" link to obtain contact information for Sen. Bruce McPherson, Sen. Byron Sher, Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn and Assemblyman Joe Simitian. Act now before the revised state budget is released in May.

Decisions are made every day in Sacramento that impact us all. But it's not every day that such monumental funding cuts are proposed that would so directly touch our lives. How much more personal can we get than threats to adequate levels of public safety and the education of our children?

It's time to stand up to government and say, "No more cuts to basic services, and leave our schools alone!"

During his campaign for governor, Davis sat among students in a classroom for one of his television advertisements. This guy cared about our children, we were supposed to think. Well, it seems that he cares so much now that he's willing to strip them of the tools they need to get a quality education.

So much for caring, and so much for the education governor!