California’s schools are in severe trouble and we as taxpayers and voters need to do something about it before they are beyond repair. Proposition 30 is a start in getting our educational systems back into the right direction. Prop. 30 will be on this Novembers ballot, and we as tax paying voters, parents, and students need to approve the proposition in order to prevent drastic continued cuts in K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 30 purposes a state generated revenue gain of around 6 billion dollars from 2012-13 through 2016-17. This revenue will be allocated to K-12 schools, community colleges, and public safety services. The greater of the money will be going directly to education. This revenue will be provided by a temporary 4 year sales tax increase of ¼ cent, meaning every 4 dollars you spend you will get taxed an extra penny, and by raising income taxes on an individual who earns over $250,000 a year. More specifically their income tax will increase by 1%-3% depending on the amount they earn per year. If proposition 30 does not pass their will be a $5.4 billion cut from grade schools and community colleges in effect immediately. This type of budget cut for schools will have a severe effect on class size, tuition costs, programs available, length of school year, and various other ways. With our schools budgets already at the lowest they have been in over 7 years we as a state cannot afford to make these kinds of cuts. Education is a necessity in all aspect of life. It keeps us working as a nation to achieve, without a strong system in place we begin to lose our hopes that with hard work you can become what you want in life.
Logos:
The logical reasoning that I will use in my op-ed is that if proposition 30 does not pass, then over $6 billion dollars will be cut from public schools, community colleges, and public safety services. This will cause more layoffs within schools, causing even larger class sizes then already exist, higher tuition rates at university, and cutting more programs and classes at community colleges; causing spaces lost for students. Education provides people the opportunity for success, if we don’t put funds into the system and make it a priority we will lose out as a nation. As Anthony Carnevale states in his article The Real Education Crisis is Just Over the Cliff “The real story is that this country is disinvesting in higher education at an alarming rate—as it has been doing for decades—and we are hurtling into the future unprepared for the economy that awaits us.” If paying an extra 20 cents on every hundred dollars you spend isn’t worth keeping our school systems from falling to pieces then I’m not sure what is.
Pathos:
If we don’t work together as a nation, and make some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail. Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2009, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years of my life, and I have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage, enough for the state to take out between 6%-8%, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $249,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as someone who earns $249,999). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school, but due to tuition rates, lack of nursing programs; due to funding, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week and be involved in a high intensity school program. It has taken me over 5 year to be at a point in my life where the opportunity to start back at school again has arose. My “American Dream” is to be a registered nurse, where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others. Due to the lack of nursing programs there are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted in a nursing program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckily ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. This fact gives me the feeling of heart break.
If we don’t work together as a nation, and make some sacrifices for educational purposes, ultimately the American dream will fail. Our school systems have been on a steady decline since 2009, and if prop. 30 fails there will be another round of cuts even more drastic then before. As a 27 year old, I have been employed full time for the last 8 years of my life, and I have worked for the last 11. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck my entire life and I have been making plenty over minimum wage, enough for the state to take out between 6%-8%, that is only 1.3% less then someone who earns $249,000 a year (at the moment a person who earns $48,029 gets taxed the same as someone who earns $249,999). For a very long time I have been wanting to go back to school, but due to tuition rates, lack of nursing programs; due to funding, and my own mental stability of not being able to work 40 hours a week and be involved in a high intensity school program. It has taken me over 5 year to be at a point in my life where the opportunity to start back at school again has arose. My “American Dream” is to be a registered nurse, where I could make a good living, maybe pay off a bill or two, and to share my empathy for humanity with others. Due to the lack of nursing programs there are wait lists of 4-5 years and lottery type situations to get into a certified program at community colleges throughout the state. They estimate that there will be a greater demand then nurses available, partial due to the lack of programs, which is greatly due to our educational crisis. This could mean my goals will be put on hold until I get lucky enough to get accepted in a nursing program, not because I haven’t gotten good enough grades, or earned it, but simply because there is no funding in education. There are many students and hopeful students just like me, and I guarantee I am one of the luckily ones. If proposition 30 does not pass because we cannot pay a few cents more a meal, or some of the wealthiest families in California can’t afford to pay 1% more a year then someone who earns 3 times less then them, then not only nursing programs, but all educational programs at the college level will receive budget cuts. This fact gives me the feeling of heart break.
Ethos:
I'm a full time student, and employee. I pay taxes and also pay for my education. I'm pursuing a degree in nursing that does not have enough funding to provide spaces for the amount of students who qualify into the program. I have researched many articles on the higher education issues in California, as well read and understand all aspects of what proposition 30 purposes.
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