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By Corina Cuevas / Staff Writer
Feel the fire- Students became emotionally charged at a March 4 rally protesting budget cuts and tuition hikes. (Ryan Lynch / Asst. Photo Editor)
By Corina Cuevas / Staff Writer
The horror isn’t over.
California budget cuts continue.
California is still experiencing budget cuts that jeopardize students’ educational goals.
There are many students this semester that could not get the classes they wanted because the class and waitlist were full. Not to mention the problems people who wanted to add in a specific class had to go through. For them it was hell.
School should be an environment where on the first day, students come prepared to learn and not worry about whether or not there will be a seat available when they arrive.
But, with the California budget cuts, things are not that simple. The budget cuts have become a disaster for education.
The increased number of classroom size in community colleges as well as in the Cal state and University system has caused delays in students being able to graduate.
This is alarming because it jeopardizes the student’s educational goals and it puts students behind.
According to the Governor’s Web site homepage, Arnold Schwarzenegger states “My budget protects education and reprioritizes our funds reducing taxpayer dollars going to prisons and keeping funding in classrooms.”
Sorry Mr. Governor, but that is not the case.
If the Governor actually kept funding in classrooms like he says, then the dreadful increase in classroom size would not be occurring. Students would be able to get into the classes they wanted without being on waitlists and they would graduate on time.
If students, are America’s future then why is the government cutting the education budget and increasing tuition at state colleges, universities and community colleges?
In terms of community colleges, the administration is proposing a $215 million reduction for the 108 that exist in California. Even worse, the administration is planning to reduce Cal Works grants by 15.7 percent.
Education is not the only aspect that is affected by the California budget cuts, however.
According to the California Budget Project, the Governor has plans to help the budget by doing other cuts.
The cuts include, and are not limited to the reduction of Medi-Cal eligibility and coverage; the increase of premiums for the Healthy Families Program; limit the In-Home Supportive Services for the disabled; and cut state workers’ salaries and benefits among others.
If the funding levels are not met things could get ugly, very ugly.
The Cal Works Program could be eliminated along with the reduction of Medi-Cal eligibility to the minimum allowed under current federal law and get rid of most remaining optional benefits.
The state employee salaries could be reduced by an additional 5 percent and the Healthy Families Program could also be eliminated as well as other health services programs. These actions would be devastating because the reduction of salaries will force people to discard any type of health services.
This could lead to a controversial health care dilemma.
The funding for enrollment growth at the UC and CSU systems could be abolished and the level of the awards and income eligibility for Cal grants could be paralyzed.
Is this going to help Californians at all?
Of course not.
The reduction of Medi-Cal and Healthy Families eligibility could mean that many people will not be able to afford the types of services which they need.
At the educational level many college students will drop out.
Similar to the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families issues, students will not be able to afford a college education which could represent an uncertain future.
These drastic measures could inevitably hurt students and California as a whole.
It is uncertain what will happen in the next couple of months or year but one thing is for sure, the system is falling apart.
Oh and one last thing.
Mr. Governor, we are all aware that you were once ‘The Terminator’ but please don’t terminate our education. It’s not fair.
Education guarantees success in life and without it we are nothing.
