WILSON WATCH : Cutting Like Mad

It used to be a common saying that a good education was priceless. Now that cliche may be on the verge of becoming a political rallying cry.

Parents and teachers, not to mention education lobbyists, have been up in arms over Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposal to balance the budget by cutting spending for public education.

The governor philosophically supports education: It’s part of his long-held belief in the value of preventive government programs. But he proposes to cut like mad in many areas, including education, because the deficit, at more than $14 billion, puts virtually everything on the chopping block.

(Well, not quite everything, it seems. We see that Wilson is using a loophole to expand his staff by a dozen positions at a time when all other state hiring is on unhappy hold.)

But a recent Times poll of Californians found only 1% willing to target education for further cuts. Indeed, 51% say education more than anything else should be spared further bloodletting. Moreover, respondents indicated that education was “the most important issue facing California.” Hard to believe but crime, which so routinely tops such lists, was a non-close second.

Interestingly, the 51% favorable rating for education was just about the same as the governor’s overall favorable rating. Still, it’s difficult not to worry that this governor is putting himself on the wrong side of the education issue.

That’s because the poll also suggested that people are willing to fork over more tax money for education. That might be because almost everyone still believes a good education is priceless.