Support Education Funding - Yes on Prop 30

Mona Field

Prop 30, while not going far enough to really rescue California from decades of fiscal instability, is a small and essential step towards keeping things from getting even worse.

Prop 30, also known as "the governor's initiative" is a tax increase based on both a progressive income tax (1-3% increase on those with incomes over $250,000 per year/$500,000 for couples) and a regressive but lucrative increase in the state sales tax (1/4 cent for four years).

The money will go to shore up our educational systems from kindergarten through university, and to provide resources for public safety. Everyone knows the terrible cuts in education, at every level, including the reduced classes and sessions at our community colleges and the huge fee increases for our public university systems. Prop 30 supporters include teachers, public safety employees, the California Democratic Party and many more.

Proposition 30 will

• Stop another $6 billion in cuts to our schools this year. After years of cuts, our schools still face a $6 billion dollar budget deficit this year. If we do nothing, the cuts will get deeper. Prop. 30 stops the cuts, provides billions in new funding for our schools starting this year --- supporting everything from smaller class sizes to afterschool programs.

• Guarantee local public safety funding. Prop. 30 establishes a guarantee for public safety funding in our state’s constitution, where it can’t be touched without voter approval. This will keep cops on the street and save the state billions in prison costs over the long term.


Opponents of Prop 30 are the usual anti-government, anti-tax crowd who believe, despite all evidence, that there is a huge amount of "waste, fraud and abuse" in government spending. Of course, there are examples of poor decision-making on the part of government officials, occasional cases of outright fraud or corruption, and just plain human error by elected leaders. But for the most part, our tax dollars are spent on what we need: education, public safety, parks and recreation, and other social goods that cannot be provided by the private, for-profit sector.

If you want to support our schools, you can tell your friends and family to vote YES on PROP 30, and join the phone banks at your local Democratic HQ. For Culver City and Westside folks, the closest place is 3916 Sepulveda.   For more information, go to www.yesonrop30.com.

 

Mona Field is a Member of the Los Angeles Community College Board and a Culver City resident.