Final Draft revised

Vanesa Miranda                                                                                               Miranda 1
Instructor Knapp
English 1A
14 October 2012

Proposition 30

            California could be responsible for stupefying it's children. Education is indispensable; it goes hand in hand with opportunity and success. This year's election will determine the future of California's education system. Prop 30 will aid in the funding of California's schools. Voting 'yes' on prop 30 is the only way to ensure that our public does not fall behind in their education. If prop 30 does not pass, K-12 schools, community colleges and public safety will lose funding by $6 billion. California is already in debt and with an economy that fails to provide a sufficient amount of funding we can not afford to lose more.

            In the article, Prop 30 Would Hurt State Economic Prospects, Margaret Bengs argues that the tax increase would have negative affects on high income earners and small businesses. They claim that if the prop passes more people will move out of California to other states where they would pay less in taxes." In the last four years alone, California has lost 2,500 employers and 109,000 jobs to other states, according to a report by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a trend underscored by the recent pullout of Campbell Soup Co. and Comcast Corp. from Sacramento. Proposition 30 would further harm the business climate." If the prop passes California could be at risk of losing tax payers and small businesses might move as a result, but it does not mean that everyone will stop paying their taxes and the entire state of California will not run away across the country. On the contrary, the more people that are educated the better off small businesses

will be. The success of running a small business is determined by education itself. Educated and skilled workers are the fundamentals of a thriving business and prop 30 enforces this.

            In addition, prop 30 could actually save many jobs by preventing layoffs. Protection and safety is crucial. Public safety includes all firefighters, social services, police, and prisons. They face cuts that can leave many firefighters and police without jobs. Passing prop 30 would fund rehabilitation services for those who are convicted of drug charges. Instead of jailing these offenders they would have the option of going to rehab. Thus, helping solve the problem of overcrowding in jails and prisons. How can our public be safe if we lack the very people whose jobs were created to protect us?

            Furthermore, Prop 30 increases income tax on the rich by 1%-3% for seven years. Who exactly qualifies as rich? Anyone who makes more than $250,000 annually qualifies as rich. Those who make less than $250,000 annually would see no tax increase. Sales tax would also be increased for 4 years by 1/4 of a percent. It will generate $8.5 billion in the first year and $5-7 billion each year after. Also, people who make $1 million dollars annually would be taxed an additional 1%. It's only fair for those who make equal to or more than $1million annually to be taxed more. Yes, the rich do work for what they have, but they are also capable of paying a little extra.

            Consequently, CSU tuition is up more than 300% in the past decade and will continue to rise due to cuts. If prop 30 doesn't pass CSU would get cut up to $250 million and tuition could go up $150. According to the Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Community Colleges depend on the state's general fund and local property taxes by 60%. The rest they receive from local property taxes and tuition fees. If prop 30 doesn't pass community colleges will be cut an additional 7.3%. Not only will it be difficult for the students that are trying to further their education but it will also be hard on the teachers and staff who depend on the schools as employment. Layoffs will increase and the shortage of teachers will lead to larger class sizes. Tutoring services and office hours will also decrease, making it difficult for students to receive the fair amount of help they need.

            As a result, American public schools are falling behind in comparison to other countries around the world.  Many European countries offer multiple language studies and begin teaching their students up to three foreign languages at a time. By the time they reach the equivalent of maybe 12th grade they are already fluent in more than two languages. Most K-12 offer at least one or two foreign languages and only teach about four years of it which is only enough to be able to comprehend the basics of the language. Learning foreign languages is only a thin slice of what our public education system is falling behind in. Electives and physical education classes have already been cut and many of our teachers have been left unemployed due to these cuts. If prop 30 does not pass, additional classes will be cut forcing students into over sized class rooms. Studies show that with smaller class sizes students learn better. How can we give students the best education possible if their class rooms are double the normal size? Not only is it difficult for the students but the teachers as well.

            It is my third semester at Cabrillo College and already I'm behind in my education because of over sized classes. I tried to register for five classes and was wait listed for three of them. I was forced to drop two classes because of the number of students that were wait listed. I was fortunate enough to get into math after about two weeks of regular attendance. Enough people had dropped so that I could get in. It's a constant competition now to try and get into classes when even the online classes are not available because they are full. Tutoring services at Cabrillo for math and English have also been cut making it more difficult for students who these services unavailable or limited.

            A nation without education is a nation without privilege. It's logical to say that those who have higher educations succeed economically more than those who have no education at all. Society trusts that people who hold degrees in a certain fields are experts in what they have learned and are able to execute what they know without errors.. Nobody would trust a clinical psychologist to diagnose a mental disorder without a certified degree in psychology. Coincidentally, people who have any degree at all have higher incomes. There is a direct correlation between education and rates of crime and violence. The higher the education the less crime and violence there is. We associate education with the ability to think critically and use logical reasoning before anything else. Taking the first step to a higher education is a loose guarantee to an economic foundation. A person's economic status should not dictate whether or not they should be able to further their education. If you are a registered voter you have the privilege of changing California's education system by voting yes on prop 30; because everyone can benefit from being smart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                       

 

Works Cited

            Bengs, Margaret A. "Viewpoints: Prop 30 Would Hurt State's Economic Prospects." The Sacramento Bee. The Sacramento Bee, 6 Oct. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/06/4885977/viewpoints-prop-30-would-hurt.html>.

            "California Budget Project." California Budget Project. California Budget Project, 2006. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cbp.org/>.

            "Welcome to the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office." Chancellor's Office Portal Home. California Community Colleges Office, 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cccco.edu/>.

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