Final Final Prop 30 Op Ed

Jessica Zacarias

English 2, Knapp

October 14, 2012

Invest in Our Schools, Invest in Our Future

The foundation of California and our future is the education of its youth. Nearly everything human beings have accomplished as a society has been founded and supported by a solid and growing education. Therefore, if we want to continue moving forward as a society, we need to invest in our future, invest in our schools and not cut back on the potential of thousands of growing minds. Billions of dollars have been cut from the schooling system resulting in less teachers, bigger class sizes, less days of school, higher tuition rates and lower acceptance rates among many other losses. That’s why proposition 30 on the ballot this November is just what we need to start solving this crisis. It is essential that we stop this downward spiral and that we vote yes on Proposition 30.

Proposition 30 would place a temporary increase on income and sales tax. The top 1% of our population, people making $250,000 dollars or more will be charged an additional 1-3% on income tax depending on how much they earn per year for the next 7 years. The rest of us, the 99% of us will be charged one fourth of a cent more on sales tax for the next 4 years. That is 1 cent for every 4 dollars you spend, or 5 dollars for every 2,000 dollars you spend. 89% of the revenue would to K-12 schools and 11% would go to community colleges. Something not many people know is that it not only supports education but it also helps and supports rehab facilities and depopulation in prison as well as public safety and social services.

Now you tell me, who has more authority to decide and demand more money for California’s education system? Is it rich old men campaigning against this cause, who went to school in a time that going to UC Berkeley cost $700 a year, or is it students currently going to school and currently feeling the devastating budget crisis as more and more money is cut from education. Today, UC Berkeley has a 2,000 percent increase on their tuition. The same has happened with all schools across California as tuition continues to rise 4-10% a year.

Being a Cabrillo College student myself, I can directly feel the already excessive budget cuts to the school. It is almost incomprehensible to really understand the impact it would have on us students if even more money and teachers get cut from the school’s resources. Cabrillo has cut so many classes in recent years that in order to go to the school that I want to go to, I’m going to have to drive to a different Community College, about one hour away, two times a week to fulfill a required course for my major. By cutting essential and important classes, students have to stay at Community College for longer because all the classes are impacted and hard to get into. Not only are there less classes and teachers, there is an increasing amount of kids that need to get into community college classes because they are unable to afford a 4 year college right out of high school. It is detrimental to students and their family’s financial situation if getting your general education requirements completed means spending more and more time, money and semesters trying to get into classes.

If proposition 30 does not pass, Trigger Cuts will take place on January 1^st 2013. Trigger cuts are the states way of reducing California’s spending. These cuts will eliminate 5.5 billion dollars going to schools, which will result in 3 less weeks of school for K-12 children. It would cut $250 million from all CSU’s. That would mean more layoffs, fewer classes and an even higher tuition cost for students. Just at Cabrillo alone I have felt the effects of the 95 staff jobs cut, 400 classes cut and the 88.5% increase on price per unit.

 Some people have different views on this proposition. On stopprop30.com they state “California cannot afford to lose more jobs or to further damage our economic recovery. Now is not the time for tax increases which will only harm California families and small businesses.” However this statement ignores the fact that funding schools will actually lead to more jobs for teachers and all other administrative departments in the system. Since more students will get to go to school it will provide more capable citizens with new and improved ideas. With education they will be able to fill needed and crucial jobs to keep our society moving forward as well as create their own small and large businesses.

 People also complain that if Proposition 30 passes, the tax increase on the poor would not be fair. However, what really isn’t fair is if Proposition 30 does not pass and parents who are already struggling with money have to seek out and pay for 3 extra weeks of childcare. A tax increase of .25% will be nothing to complain about compared to the downfalls if proposition 30 is not passed. Compare one cent for every four dollars for a temporary amount of time to having to pay higher tuition for more semesters, and poorer quality education. It is not a hard decision to make.

We can all agree that the education system in California has been going downhill. Finally a solution is within reach. Lets think and act progressively for a prosperous future for all of us. Proposition 30 is that solution. Just adding ¼ of a cent to our sales tax for a limited amount of time could mean the difference between thousands of students not being able to go to school or get into classes or getting a solid education and continuing to getting vital and constructive jobs that could help and effect everybody’s future. You make the choice.  Our system needs to evolve with time, not disintegrate.  Help save our future by voting yes on Proposition 30.