It is obvious that California is facing a budget crisis. The
last few years this state has faced an extreme amount of funding cuts and has
still found itself in billions of dollars of debt. One area that is especially
experiencing this financial disparity is the educational system. This once
great system has faced billions of dollars in budget cuts in that last few
years and is facing $5.35 billion more in cuts this next year if we don’t act
now. Governor Jerry Brown’s solution: Proposition 30. Proposition 30 promises
to give back about $6 billion to K-12 and community colleges through a
quarter-cent sales tax raise for four years and a 1-3% income tax raise for
seven years to singles making at least $250,000 or couples making at least
$500,000 annually. The money acquired from taxation will go into an Education
Protection Account (EPA) and will be given to the schools to use where needed,
allocating 89% to K-12 and 11% to community colleges. Not only will this
improve funding for schools, but it will also prevent a series of “trigger
cuts” that will occur if Proposition 30 does not pass. These not only affect
the school systems, but public safety as well. As a student currently attending
one of California’s many community colleges, I know first-hand how the budget
cuts are affecting the educational system and I strongly urge a YES vote on
Proposition 30 to prevent more damage to the schools.
Budget cuts are real and
devastating; I know this personally and experience their effects daily. In
August I started my third year at my local community college, Cabrillo College.
The general expectation for length of attendance at a community college is two
years. I was not able to achieve this
because throughout my first two years there were extreme budgets cuts raising
tuition and cutting classes and staff.
Now that I have finally been able to get all of the classes necessary
for transfer to a UC, I am faced with an even more dismal situation because of
how expensive higher education is becoming. I am a serious student and highly
value my education, but I will not be able to afford to continue in my college
career if Prop 30 does not pass.
Like
all complex changes to a Constitution, there are both pros and cons to the
change. History has shown that Californians do not favor implementing new tax
raises. In the last decade voters have turned down 10 of the 11 propositions
that involved raising taxes. Taxes can be annoying and even scary, especially
when it comes to trusting a government that hasn’t been exactly trustworthy with
their taxpayer’s money. When considering a lower class family, even the
slightest raise in taxes could affect them greatly. As explained in an article
written by Bill Freeman: “[y]es, the measure calls for a temporary one-quarter
of one percent increase for four years, but even with the increase, our sales
taxes will be lower than they were last year.” One could even say that the
increase in sales tax affect small businesses because consumers would be
purchasing fewer products due to the raised sales tax; but as explained, that
argument simply does not stand.
Another
argument concerns the income tax raise of the wealthy. Why should the rich pay
for other people’s children to attend school? Ever since Reagan was in office,
America has seen an enormous decrease in income tax, especially on the affluent.
Since the 1980’s, America has experienced a deficit where a very important form
of funding used to exist. The top 1%, which is who will experience the increase
in income tax, supplies a large portion of funding in America. America, and
specifically California, cannot afford to tax the top 1% at this low of a rate.
Critics
argue that Proposition 30 is not enough. California needs a reform in the
education system and government in general. They may be right about this, but
now is not the time. The state needs a quick solution now, and a reform would
be too much, too soon. Prop 30 is a temporary tax, so it gives the government
time to think and strategically plan how to fix this issue permanently.
Otherwise, we have 3 short months until the “trigger cuts” start their destruction.
Another argument explains that because this taxation is temporary, the state
could become dependent on the money coming in, and will not be prepared once it
stops. In this case, the voting citizens have to make sure that a more
permanent reform occurs before the money runs out.
Proposition
30, also known as “Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act”, strongly affects
local governments in regards to public safety. Voters question why schools and
public safety issues are lumped together in one measure. The proposed “trigger
cuts” that would go through on January 1st of next year do not only
affect K-12 and community colleges. These cuts would also pertain to UC’s,
CSU’s, social services such as police and fire, prisons, health programs, and
many departments such as Fish & Game and Parks & Recreation. If
Proposition 30 passes, it will free up about $3 billion for these different
public safety departments, many of which the state government dumped on local
governments in 2011 without aid in funding. When concerning prisons, the
measure will support programs in prisons that aim to educate prisoners, giving
them foundational skills for a successful transition into society once they
have been released. These programs aim to lower the rate of returning convicts.
This is a form of education, and although prisons acquire much opposition,
denying a prisoner of education is discrimination. Also, with less returning
prisoners, this will shrink the population of the prisons in California,
reducing this ongoing issue and financial burden.
In
regards to Proposition 38, the measure running against Prop 30, I urge a NO
vote. Prop 38 claims to raise about $10 billion in support for K-12 schools
through extensive income taxes to those making as low as $7,316 a year for 12
years. Prop 38 will only help K-12 and will completely ignore higher education.
Not only this, but if this proposition goes through, the trigger cuts will
still take place removing $6 billion from all of the school systems as well as
public safety. Only one of these propositions can pass, and this is not the
solution.
Although Proposition 30 may not be
perfect, it is the best option (and only option for higher education) until a
better and permanent reform can occur. Overall, it provides the most change
with the lowest financial impact for taxpayers. Education is unavoidable
because it affects everyone. Therefore, everyone needs to be actively seeking a
solution for this educational crisis and Prop 30 is the current solution. I cannot
imagine what students 5 or 10 years younger than me are going to have to face
if Prop 30 doesn't pass. Hopefully California residents have had enough of this
diminishing school system and will put forth effort needed to return the state
to what it once was. I know I have, and that's why I'm voting YES on Prop 30.
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