Election season is in full swing and November 6th is fast approaching. UC Davis students have one especially important item to vote on this year. That item is Proposition 30, Governor Brown’s state budget and revenue measure. This measure will impact the University of California system in a number ways whichever direction the vote goes. Specifically, if Prop 30 fails, UC will face an immediate loss of funding, and tuition could go up as much as $2,400 by the upcoming winter quarter.
These effects are serious, and you may think having an impact on the outcome seems out of reach for students. Fortunately, that is not the case. As students and voters, voting yes on Prop 30 will give you a voice in these matters and help you focus on your education, rather than the uncertainty the failure of the proposition would create. So, how exactly does Prop 30 help UC Davis, you ask? Well, the rest of this article will explain how (in a nutshell) and also indicate how important the passage of Prop 30 will truly be to students across the state.
Prop 30 enacts a temporary tax increase lasting seven years, and, as a result, generates upwards of $6 billion in tax revenues annually for the state through 2018-19. These funds would be allocated to community colleges and K-12 public schools and assist in budgeting for the UC and CSU systems. In fact, the title of the Prop 30 is "Schools and Safety Protection Act,” attesting to the initiative’s goal of aiding schools. If Prop 30 fails, cuts will be made according to the state budget planned for 2012-2013, and an estimated $250 million in cuts to UC is one part of that plan. Voting yes on Prop 30 will allow UC and CSU students to prevent those budget cuts from happening – keeping faculty, staff hiring plans, and programs intact that would otherwise be at risk if the measure fails.
Governor Brown and the UC Regents agree that Prop 30 allows students to have a direct say in their education in regards to budgeting and tuition. However, in a recent poll released on October 24th, support for the ballot measure has fallen below the 50 percent majority needed for passage. What makes the student vote even more critical this election are both the short-term and long-term effects the passage this proposition will have for all California students—not just those of us at UC. Considering how directly and immediately Proposition 30 will affect California students, ASUCD Student Government encourages all UC Davis students to cast a ballot on Election Day and vote “yes” on Prop 30.
