rough draft Prop. 30

Yes on Prop. 30, Save Our Future

California was once the highest ranked place in the world to receive an education. Our public schools offered a well rounded form of education; music and art classes, metal and wood shop, school field trips, on top of the best materials and teachers needed to prepare our students in the competitive job market. However, the state of California is in a deep budget deficit effecting the appropriate amount of funding needed to ensure the high quality of education our students once received. Together, kindergarden through 12th grade and higher education makes up half of California’s state budget. Gov. Jerry Brown has drawn up a proposal for a temporary sales and income tax in-order to replenish education funding. A vote yes on Prop 30 will help get our education standards back on track and give our students the education they deserve. 

A recent poll showed that California voters would support Prop. 30 which would increase sales and income taxes to reduce budget cuts to public education. The sales tax would increase 1/4 cent per dollar for four years and the personal income tax for those who make more than $250,000 for seven years. “If it passes, the state will receive several billion dollars in additional revenue that will help prevent further cuts to education and other areas,” said Dominic Brewer, vice dean of research in partnerships and globalization at Rossier. If the prop passes our state would receive about $6 billion in additional state revenue. If rejected the state budget would be shortened by $6 billion. In the case of failure, state law calls for $4.8 billion in automatic "trigger cuts" to public schools, more than $1 billion in cuts to higher education budgets and $100 million in assorted other reductions. On top of the trigger cuts, further cuts will still be needed if this measure does not pass, but experts believe the poll results will prove true.    

Being a college student I have personally seen the effects of our educational system.  I have paid the higher tuition fees and have struggled to receive the classes I have asked for. At Cabrillo, the community college I currently attend, the student fees have increased by 85.5 % in the last few years, from $26/unit in spring 2010 to $46/unit in fall 2012. In-order to keep it from becoming any worse, Prop. 30 must pass. However if Prop. 30 does not pass, Cabrillo will face an additional cut of 7.3% making it even harder for students to enroll and afford tuition costs. Not only students face the burden of reduced funding, but the teachers, staff, and administration face losing their jobs.  My older brothers were at the same college five years ago and they have noticed it has become much more difficult to get through. Also, my dad came to Cabrillo thirty  years ago and he remembers being easily able to receive the classes he signed up for and easily able to afford tuition costs. 

The availability and opportunity to receive a higher education in California is declining. Our state is ranked 31st for people ages 25-34 with a college degree. The number of people becoming educated is less and less each year. The labor force will be in great need of skilled workers in the next ten years because of the high number of retirees. However, we will not have a big enough skilled workforce to fill those job positions. This will cause businesses to outsource their workers effecting the money staying inside the California economy. The future of our state depends on the number of educated people we can produce. So with the future of our economy tied so closely to education, allowing students the opportunity to easily go to college is the ultimate goal. Bill Freeman says in the article, Prop 30 Invests in Education, Economy , that Prop. 30 “is the only measure that stops the cuts, avoids the steep tuition hikes, and invests in our schools and colleges starting this year so we can prepare the next generation for the jobs of the future”. A well funded education system is key for a strong economy in the future. 

As a result of the current budget deficit, programs such as art and music will see a major change or probable cut. When I was in public school I can remember enjoying my music and art classes the most out of any other subject. The ceramics class I took in high school made me excited to go to school everyday. It created an interest in me to come to school everyday and learn while other academic subjects failed to motivate me. Robert Daniels, supervisor for the Visual and Performing Arts Department of San Francisco Unified School District, United Administrators of San Francisco, AFSA Local  says, “Art allows them to find joy in learning. With access to arts, you have various avenues to make kids want to learn and to learn better. By eradicating art and music programs, districts are putting a roadblock in the way of the students whose passions and strengths are manifested through these outlets”. Hands on learning is becoming a lost method of training for our younger generation. What if our art and music classes turned into art theory and music theory classes. Where the only thing you did in these classes was talk about making art or talk about making music. It would be like being taught how to surf on the beach and never going out into the water to ride a wave. Art and music programs are not cheap to run, but are worth every penny because of the great influence they can have on kids lives.  

The education we provide for our students determines how successful our state will be. A vote Yes on proposition 30 will ensure a high quality of education and will make receiving a higher form of education more accecible. As a result of the current budget cuts to our schools, the education our future generation is receiving has suffered. The necessity of appropriate funding is evident so vote yes on Prop. 30.