Kelly Finneran
Instructor Stacey Knapp
English
1A
14 October 2012
Proposition 30
Is public education funding important to
Californians? We will find out on
November 6, 2012, when Proposition 30 also known as “The School and Safety
Protection Act” will be on the ballet.
The objective of this initiative is to stop the impending budget cuts
planned for 2012-2013 and create revenue from taxes to fund our public schools
and public safety programs. In my
opinion the benefits of this proposition clearly out weight the
alternatives. Therefore, I would suggest
voting YES on Proposition 30.
If Proposition 30 passes,
it would increase the sales-tax rate by one-quarter of a cent for every dollar
spent in California over the next four years. For the next seven years, it
would increase personal income-tax rates on upper-income taxpayers. Individuals
in California with taxable income of $250,000 will pay an additional 1%,
incomes over $300,000 will pay an additional 2%, and incomes over $500,000 will
pay an additional 3%.
How will Proposition 30 benefit
Californians? It will prevent an
approximate $ 5-6 billion in immediate “trigger cuts” to public education,
which is already approved for our 2012-2013 state budget. According
to the Attorney General’s Legislative Analysis, the plan to accommodate the
“trigger cuts” to public schools for the 2012-2013, is to reduce the number of school
days to 160 days per school year.
If approved by voters, the temporary tax
revenues generated will be deposited into a newly created state account called
the Education Protection Account. This will ensure the money is used
appropriately. The education funds will
be dispersed to schools; K-12 receiving 89% of the revenue and community
colleges will be receiving 11% of the revenue.
This will restore funding to our public schools from previous budget
cuts.
During the last four years of budget cuts,
38,000 teachers have been let go in California. California ranks last in the U.S. in
the ratio of teachers to students. We
rank 46th in the country in the Kindergarten through 12th
grade spending per student and have the lowest ratio in the country for
counselors, librarians and nurses per student.
As a mother of a 10 year old student, I
have seen class sizes increase dramatically, faculty laid off, bus services cut
back, classroom supplies cut, school classrooms and play grounds dangerously
deteriorating and the number of school days per year gradually decreasing. Being a nursing major student at Cabrillo
College, I have seen first-hand the effects of our state budget education cut
backs. The number of classes offered has
largely decreased consistently over the past three years. Every department has cut staff and currently runs
on part time employees; the library, tutoring staff, administration, financial
aid and student affairs. The list goes
on, our class sizes have increased, our instructors and school staff are
completely over worked. Yet they stay
committed and determined to continue educating.
I am amazed everyday by their dedication. How can we expect our
graduates to step out into the world, be competitive in a global economy and
help ensure that our communities and country prospers? Isn't our community going
to be dependent on these students to run our businesses, medical facilities,
public safety agencies, schools and universities in the future?
California is facing a serious shortage of
college graduates. According to the
Public Policy Institute of California, if current trends persist, California
will have one million fewer college graduates than it needs by 2025 to fulfill
the workforce needs. Only 35% of
working age adults will have college degrees. Without Proposition 30 California
will produce even fewer college graduates which will ultimately bring less
money into our economy due to having lower income wage earners as residents.
Surely the residents of California earning
over $250,000 a year will vote “NO” on Proposition 30, with the thought in mind
that their children attend private schools.
But the fact is all tax payers in California need to contribute and be
part of the solution, instead of putting the burden on the working class, teachers
and parents. While the intentions of
Proposition 30 are certainly good, the opposition has a few important questions
to be answered. For instance, who will
have control and make the decisions of how the tax revenue generated will be
spent? As I mentioned previously, the
tax revenue will be deposited into the EPA.
With that said, the local school governing boards will have authority
over how the funds are used by way of open meetings, which will be subject to
annual audits. The funds will not be allowed
to be used for administrative costs. In
addition, those opposing Proposition 30 can point out that the residents
earning over $250,000 annually currently pay 40 percent of the state’s income
taxes. This is a fact. However, the wealthiest residents of
California have at their disposal endless loopholes and tactics to avoid taxes.
As mentioned by the California Budget
Project, “The poorest fifth of California families pay 10.2 percent of their
household income to state and local taxes.
While the top 1 percent of California income earners pay only 7.4
percent of their income to state and local taxes.” Thus a tax increase ranging from 1 to 3
percent for top income earners over $250,000 is a fair and responsible
expectation.
Education is the key to our states’ and
country’s economic success, and is essential to our children's futures. Every
day there are thousands of students working hard to educate themselves in our
state’s K-14 system, at Cabrillo College, UC Santa Cruz and throughout our
state. I see that these are very
challenging economic times, but we should be outraged about what is happening
to our schools. We need to support our
students, therefore we need to support Proposition 30…these children are our
future!
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