Alysha
Guzman
English
1A
Rough
draft of prop 30
As
most of us know California has a very large amount of dept. The current revenue
of California can no longer afford to keep funding public schools. Already the
state government has been forced to cut music and art programs for k-12 as well
as cutting many classes in community colleges. The option of taxing the state
in order to continue to fund public schools and community colleges is now up on
a ballet. But with California’s revenue
already stretched out Governor Brown has given California an ultimatum, accept
a set of tax increases for the riches and add a higher sales tax or have an instant
set of trigger cuts to schools. As the voting day comes closer it’s time that
we, the voters take note that our school system has suffered for two long it is
time that we attempt to help it survive and thrive.
Proposition
30 works in two ways. First the state sales tax will increase by twenty five
cents every year for four years. Second there would be an increase of person
income tax to the wealthiest taxpayers for seven years. If this measure passes six
billion dollars would be added to the state’s budget. Eighty nine percent would
go to k-12 and 11% would go to community colleges (Qualified Statewide Ballot
Measures). This is the only current ballet that is attempting to help our
schools funding. There are no other alternatives then putting in the trigger
buts and continuing to cut our schools budgets.
There
are certainly pros and cons of this measure. For the argument of people opposed
to this measure are that prop 30 would not reform schools and would not cut
waste and bureaucracy. They aruge that 50 billion in higher taxes will not be
the help that the schools so desperately need (Proposition 30: Temporary Taxes
to Fund Education). Opposes to the bill also that California has spent five
billion on a bullet train that has had little success, and argue that
California does have the money but only have to learn how to spent it more thoughtfully.
According to them this measure will kill jobs, which really sounds silly. From
what I could find there is no evidence suggesting that any part of prop 30 will
hurt jobs or business. If anything not passing prop 30 will hurt jobs due to
administration and teachers being laid off and there is plenty evidence of that
being true. What truly is heart breaking and even enraging is that those
opposed do not have a plan on how to save our school systems and give students
a fighting chance.
Those
who are for Prop 30 note that for years we have been cutting funding for
schools and schools are at their braking point. They also note that prop 30 is
not only an education measure as well as a public safety measure. “. Prop. 30
is the only measure that establishes a guarantee for public safety funding in
our state’s constitution, where it can’t be touched without voter approval.
Prop. 30 keeps cops on the street” (Proposition 30: Temporary Taxes to Fund
Education). This is an encouraging thought especially because since the police
force funding, much like schools, have been dramatically cut. Besides helping
the public by educating and protecting the public prop 30 also has safety
guards. The funds cannot be changed without voter approval and while nothing is
certain it is frankly much nicer to have cops and educated people on the
streets then the other choice, which are poorly educated children. Supporters
also note that all the taxes proposed are temporary. They will not be set in
stone and once four years pass we may look at the issue once more and decide if
prop 30 has functioned in not for state taxes. And after seven years the wealthiest
will be taxed as they are today.
As
a community college student I have seen what budget cuts have been doing to our
schools. Classes have been cut and class times are no longer flexible as they
once were. Tuition prices have also gone up. I’ve been told by my mother that
when she went to Cabrillo a unit was only seven dollars. While an increase in tuition
is normal due to inflations the price per unit is now $74 dollars (Fee Charts).
The price per unit is even more for out of state students $247. The tuition
price isn’t the worst about the cuts. Teachers have been fired by no fault of their
own other the state not having enough money to pay them. But students suffer
more than being deprived of classes and great teachers, many of my fellow
students can no longer go to school because of how Cabrillo is being shrunk.
Fewer students are let in and some of us who do get in cannot make it to the
classes we need because only one class is available. But my experience with
public schooling is not limited to community college. I have two younger
siblings who are in the public school system. They go to two different schools
everyone in my family can see the changes. In one of my brothers schools they
no longer offer after school. After school office hours have been cut. Their
class sizes get bigger every year. For
students who need extra help learning things they will need to know for the
next year bigger classes are not an insignificant problem. There are also few
classes designed to help struggling students. If that isn’t bad enough the
materials the school provides now come out of their teacher’s pocket.
It
is no longer feasible to continue to cut school funding and have a functional
school system. It is also inexcusable to do nothing about our school system and
allow it to continue to fall apart. We have an opportunity to help our state’s
children and college students. We also have the choice to do nothing but with
such a choice we must be ready to face the consequences and face the states
students and tell them they no longer matter.
"Fee Charts." Admissions
and Records. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/ar/FeeCharts.html>.
"Qualified Statewide Ballot
Measures." - Elections & Voter Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept.
2012. http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.htm
"Qualified Statewide Ballot
Measures." - Elections & Voter Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept.
2012.
<http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures.htm>.
"Proposition 30: Temporary
Taxes to Fund Education. Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding - California
State Government." Proposition 30: Temporary Taxes to Fund Education.
Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding - California State Government. Leage of
Women Voter, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.smartvoter.org/2012/11/06/ca/state/prop/30/>.
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