Sara
Estrada
October
7, 2012
English 2
The
Students are the Future of California
Proposition 30 was created to fund education
and stop the cut backs on schools, tuition hikes, layoffs and downsizing class
size and guarantee local public safety funds.
Based on California Franchise Tax Board data
for 2009, the additional income tax is imposed on the top 3% of California
taxpayers. Because Prop. 30 works within the framework of the state budget to
pay down the debt Prop. 30 is the only initiative that helps balance the budget
and prevents more devastating cuts to services for seniors, working families
and small businesses. The very highest earners will pay more for seven years.
The sales tax provision will be in effect for four years. Under Prop. 30, money
raised for schools is directed into a special fund for public schools that the
legislature can’t touch. Annual audits will insure Prop. 30 funds raised for
schools are only spent on schools. No money can be used for administration. If Prop.
30 doesn’t pass, schools K-12 get cut $5.5 billion which will eliminate three
weeks of school and CSU’s get cut $250 million which will increase tuition tremendously.
If Prop. 30 is passed, it will increase
personal income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years as well as
sales and use tax by ¼ cent for four years. It allocates temporary tax revenues
89% to K–12 schools and 11% to community colleges. It also bars use of funds
for administrative costs, but provides local school governing board’s
discretion to decide, in open meetings and subject to annual audit, how funds
are to be spent. Additionally it guarantees funding for public safety services
realigned from state to local governments. It will bring in additional state
tax revenues of about $6 billion a year.
The main point the “no on Prop. 30” express
is that the government keeps spending money they don’t have putting us more in
debt and that they are concerned that the tax funds will not reach the
classrooms. Although I do agree the government does spend more money than they
have, I don’t believe Prop. 30 has anything to do with it. Prop. 30 is specifically
for schools and local public safety, not the government to pay for more
expensive, unnecessary things. The concerns regarding the funds reaching the
classrooms is a reasonable concern but they have to realize classrooms need
students, teachers and appropriate materials for learning. If the schools cut
back classes and raise tuition, there will be less and less students and
teachers to fill the classrooms.
I am currently a full time student attending
Cabrillo Community College. I go to school every day and when I am not in class
I am doing homework or studying. I barely have enough time every day to eat,
therefore I don’t have time for a job and am currently unemployed. There is the
option of taking one or two classes to be able to have a job but I feel my
education is more important at this time in my life. As of August 2012, the
unemployment rate in California was 10.8% whereas the national unemployment
rate was only 8.6%. Being a college student I am not qualified to do most jobs.
Any good job requires at least a college degree.
I attended
public school from kindergarten to my freshman year and there were very few
teachers that actually cared what the students did and learned. In high school
a yard supervisor caught a group of eight students skipping class to smoke
marijuana on school campus and the only thing he did was put his clip board up
and said, “They don’t pay me enough to see this”. It didn’t matter what the
students did in class either; there were teachers that would fail students but
they wouldn’t help them understand the material to prevent students from
failing. I hated public school because the teachers didn’t care and they weren’t
willing to help. All I wanted to do was drop out. I remember telling everyone
once I turned 15 I wasn’t going back to school.
Eventually
I started at a private school with great teachers that helped each student in
every subject. They taught me that I could learn because I was smart and I could
actually graduate high school. I went from fighting school to wanting to go to
learn. I received many awards during my graduation ceremony along with my diploma.
Once I figured out I could achieve success,
graduate and receive my high school diploma, I decided I was going to go to
college and graduate there also. I remember my first day at Cabrillo College;
it was my 19th birthday, August 29th, 2011, I was nervous
at first; I thought it would be just like public high school only bigger but I was
completely wrong. It was great. I really liked the freedom and huge, open
campus, but when I went to my first class there was at least 15 people on the
wait list and the room was filled with students sitting at desks as well as on
the ground and standing in the back. That really surprised me. I thought, “This
place is huge. Why can’t all these students get into classes?” There are those
who don’t sign up on time but the fact that the classes are getting fewer and
fewer and the costs are getting more and more expensive aren't helping the
students of California.
People
in society need to be educated, especially those that truly want to be. The amount
of money a student or student’s family has or doesn't have shouldn't determine the
education they will receive or not receive. If Proposition 30 passes, it will
allow those students to go to school and achieve success and earn their college
degrees.
We,
the students, ask those who are more fortunate and wealthy to help us out. Think
about the future of California; if people can’t afford school or receive a
proper education, what will happen to our state? We are the future of California.
A lot of us are young and haven’t had to make many important life choices and
don’t know as much as people that have been around longer but we need to be
educated in all aspects of life and we are asking those who are fortunate and financially
able, to help provide us with an education to succeed in life.
Although
I haven’t decided what I want to do with my life, career or what my major is, I
have decided that no matter what I am going to graduate. I truly feel that the
people attending community college want to be there. K-12 students are forced
to be there. No one makes students go to college and attend classes, and
students pay to be there to further their education. A lot of students can barely
afford to stay in school but they want to graduate college in order to better
themselves and have better job opportunities.
As I stated
before I am a college student attending community college and I have seen the cutbacks
on class sizes and the increase of fees due to limited funding over the past
two years. I believe that if Proposition 30 passes, it will allow for more
students to attend college. Over the last few years Cabrillo College has had to
cut 400 classes and 47 full time staff jobs have been eliminated. Something needs
to change so students can receive an education and staff can keep their jobs.
If Proposition 30 passes, it will allow more
students to attend college and the K-12 schools will have enough resources to
educate and prepare students for college. The people that have made a lot of
money tend to spend it on unnecessary things. I don’t think they really need
statues in their houses or cars that cost upwards of $800,000. Those things are
all very nice but I think if they could help us to be educated; it is much more
rewarding in the long run. Material things won’t last forever but an education
and opportunities will.
No one likes paying taxes but this tax
initiative only affects 3% of Californians by the income tax increase and all
of California by the quarter of a cent sales tax, less than one penny per
dollar, to help provide funds for educating the future of California. If we,
the students, aren't properly educated what will happen to our beautiful golden
state? We need help, both students and teachers, so reflect on those ridiculously
expensive materialistic things and think about if they are more important than
educating the future of America.
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