Rough Draft

times have changed, California's education is failing along with the state budget and now is the time for us as voters to change it. In 2011 the state budget was $25 billion in debt when Gov. Brown started. Over the past year, just trying to balance out the billions of dollars of debt the lawmakers have drastically reduced spending in health, community development, public safety and most importantly education. even with these drastic cuts the budget remains out of balance and will stay in debt unless something changes. Gov. Brown has proposed a solution, that i believe will work if passed Proposition 30.

Proposition 30 if passed is estimated to raise $6-9 billion in new revenue each year for public education and public safety. Prop. 30 would raise income taxes 1-3% for seven years on the wealthiest families, the most "blessed", making over $500,000 a year. Sales taxes would be raised by 1/4 cent for the next four years, 90% of prop. 30's revenue will be used to fund public education and safety. Prop. 30's revenue will help fund K-12 schools, preventing a three week cut of school. 11% of the revenue will go towards community colleges. $5.6 billion in funding that can be used for healthcare, and high education is freed up, and a prevention of dramatic cuts to CSUs of $250 million of class cuts, layoffs and enrollment cuts are prevented. The estimated new revenue gives students the opportunity to attend class and be able to go to school giving them the chance to obtain the American dream.

Schools in California have already faced budget cuts that changed how students view school. California schools cannot risk the loss of anymore money. If proposition 30 doesn't pass a series of "trigger" cuts will go into effect. If rejected according to kcet.org " Schools and community colleges would take a hit on nearly $5.4 billion, and many other departments would see reductions too". resulting in even more class cuts, layoff of faculty, staff and enrollment cuts. Law enforcement, fire departments and public safety funding will take a sustainable reduction.

As a student i pay for my classes, and in return i have to work to be able to go to school. I am a 19 year old college student and this is my second year at Cabrillo. Even if my first year i had trouble getting into the classes i wanted, i was on the wait-list for all of my classes but one. This semester i had a small list of classes to choose from still. The class sizes, the cutting of programs and classes have effected me dramatically. The more classes that get cut means the price of the other classes go up along with the book prices, which in return means i have to work more hours taking away my time to be in school. Not to mention the increase of students trying to get into a class with limited seats. I have had to stand in the back of class rooms listening to lectures while others stand outside the door all because of the increasing cuts. I have seen teachers turn students away at the door due to over sized classes. Originally i only had to spend three years at college to optaine the units i need for my career, now after class cuts, an increase of hours at work to pay for school and not being able to get into a class those three years have turned out to be closer to four or five.

Everyone has a "american dream" may it be to be rich and powerful or to be a school teacher. My dream is to be able to have a family and to be able to provide whatever they need, the classic white picket fence. This is achieved through hard work, dedication and a strong educational background. But with the current educational crisis i fear for the future of the american dream. Everyone deserves and needs a opportunity for a strong education and without the chance for proposition 30 to restore the states budget i fear that the american dream will almost  be impossible to obtain, but with the help of proposition 30 there is a chance for America's education and the american dream.

In this time of economic disaster proposition 30 gives the state the chance to help relieve the damage from budget cuts and to restore some of the education, public safety, and community services. Prop. 30 gives California the opprotunity to change its future. However there are some groups that are against prop. 30.  They say that proposition 30 will destroy family businesses and small businsses through the raising of taxes. In the LAtimes proposition was referred to as a "$50 billion political shell game"  meaning that funding is not guaranted to schools. But proposition is the first step in many hopefully to restore California's debt and education