For DiMarco, Deficit Means Unkindest Cuts : Education: As a Democrat, she hates to slash school spending. As a Wilson aide, she doesn’t see any choice.

Maureen DiMarco, state secretary of child development and education, is in a bind.

DiMarco’s home turf, Orange County, hosted one of the state’s largest protests against Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposal to slash $2 billion from education funds in an effort to close the state’s $14-billion deficit.

More than 12,000 parents, students and teachers attended the grass-roots rally at Orange Coast College two weeks ago, decrying the proposed cuts that have already led to hundreds of local layoffs and the elimination of key programs, such as counseling and elementary music classes.

“I would be disappointed if they did not raise their voices,” DiMarco said in an interview Tuesday. “But I also know that the people here understand that when you’re talking about a deficit in excess of $14 million, you’re talking about an almost insurmountable problem.”

Once a strong critic of former Gov. George Deukmejian for his refusal to increase funds for education, DiMarco now finds herself defending Wilson for cutting money to local schools. Compounding DiMarco’s dilemma is her strong link to Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig, who has made no secret that he is unhappy with the governor’s proposal. Other state agencies also face severe cutbacks.

DiMarco, a Democrat, had helped Honig get his job as the head of state public education and she also worked for him during his first term. DiMarco also worked hand in hand with Honig to stop Deukmejian from suspending Proposition 98, which guarantees that schools get 40% of state funds annually. Now Wilson is asking state legislators to suspend the guarantee in light of the state’s fiscal crisis.

“She is in a tough spot,” Honig said. “She’s working for an Administration that is trying to cut $2 billion from education. We think there are better choices for schools.”

Education is taking the brunt of the cuts, said Ed Foglia, president of the California Teachers’ Assn., which has been lobbying heavily to counter the governor’s wishes.

“The program cuts will be across the board affecting all the school districts in the state,” Foglia said. “There has to be some flexibility on the part of the governor.”

But DiMarco said that school funds have to be scaled back like other programs in the state.

“The state is like a boat that is filled with holes right now,” DiMarco said. “You can’t fix only 40% of the boat representing school funding and not fix the rest of the boat. The state is going to sink this way.”

And, DiMarco said, she realizes that school districts will hurt.

“These cuts are going to be very difficult for everyone,” she said. “There will be a heavy impact. But the fact of the matter is, unless California gets this (deficit) under control this year, the impact next year and the year after will be more devastating toward children.”

Although the state budget has not passed, the effects of Wilson’s proposal has already been devastating for Orange County, where nearly all of the 27 school districts have been affected one way or another.

At Saddleback Unified, guidance counselors have been eliminated. At Placentia Unified, the Board of Education issued 158 layoff notices and also slashed 100 classified positions that could mean ridding as many as 200 more employees. And in other school districts throughout the state, thousands of jobs and programs are still in jeopardy

“We understand that cuts have to be made,” said Sheila Benecke, Orange County PTA president-elect. “But we can’t lose sight of tomorrow either. We are concerned that cuts will affect the children. We can’t lose a generation of children due to cuts. We can’t make that up in the future.”