Week One, Prop 30

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/crystal-brown/vote-twice-for-education-over-politics_b_1774101.html

1)             I think “Para Teresa” was written in both English and Spanish for a coupe of reasons. First of, the speaker shows the reader a little bit of background about herself just by the simple fact that she is speaking some Spanish. We as readers can tell that she is multi cultural. The number Two seems to play a big role in this poem. There are two languages. There are two cultures. There are two girls getting in a fight. And there are two different ways of showing independence and revolting for their “raza”. Teresa’s way was by defying authority while the speakers’ way was by proving herself to be better for herself and for her family. The role of the combination of Spanish and English in this poem helps bind all the “two’s” and make it one. It symbolizes the mixture of the two cultures together as one in the United States (what both Teresa and the speaker are fighting for), all in one poem.

6)            I Felt really ignorant when you mentioned prop 30 and I had no idea what it had to do with. After researching it a bit, I've reminded myself how important it is to keep myself informed with all the debates and politics that go on (especially this time of year) because it directly affects my life and those around me too.

The article I read was about how people have initiated a “false competition” between the two bills that could potentially put a lot more money towards education in California.  As Brown states it, “Proposition 30 provides approximately $8 billion, much of which is restitution funding for K-12 education, public colleges, and universities and new funds for pubic safety. Proposition 38 could provide $10 billion per year in new funding for K-12 education and preschool, including funds to offset some education funding losses triggered by the potential failure of Prop 30.”

People are look at these two propositions and look at the pros and cons of each of them. However, what they need to do is put their focus on the ultimate goal, which is to improve California’s educational system. If you vote yes on one of the propositions and no on another, it could divide the vote and make it so neither of the propositions are able to win. “This false "competition" may, in fact, lead to a far more dire outcome than divided attention: a divided vote, which could lead to the failure of both measures” (Brown 1).

So what needs to be done is to set aside the strengths and weaknesses of the two propositions and vote yes on both of them. That way the chances of one winning are way higher.