Californians are a uniquely optimistic people and nowhere is that truer
than here in the eastern part of our state. Our foothill communities
are grounded in the pioneering and forward-looking spirit of the early
settlers who saw California as a place of opportunity and prosperity.
But with high unemployment in many areas, uncertain government support for public schools, and skyrocketing tuition at our state colleges and universities, that optimism seems to be waning. That trend should be a signal to Sacramento that it must reprioritize investing in the futures of our children and grandchildren, without digging them deeper into debt.
Last year, the Governor asked voters to approve $50 billion in tax increases to supposedly meet those challenges, but with our economy just barely starting to recover, I still believe Proposition 30 was the wrong prescription for our state’s ills. Yet now that the taxes are law, the Governor and Legislature need to keep their commitment to voters by spending the money on what they said they would: education.
For too long, higher education has shouldered one of the heaviest burdens of state budget cuts, pushing tuition at our public colleges and universities to historic levels. Many families no longer feel the dream of a college education is in reach for their children.
That is why I was proud to co-author a measure freezing tuition at all of our state’s public colleges and universities for at least the next seven years, or as long as the tax increases from Proposition 30 remain in effect.
Only by passing Assembly Bill 67, can we ensure that students attending our public colleges and universities that they will have a stable tuition rate for the next several years. This is in stark contrast to the realities of the last decade that has seen average tuition costs jump by thousands of dollars. It is an action they expect and deserve.
This proposal is especially important to me as I think about my own grandkids and the world we will leave behind for them. So many in my generation had the opportunity to pursue higher education and start careers with relatively little, if any, college debt. We must make it a reality again for future Californians.
Our state cannot afford to risk losing our best and brightest minds because of the fear of being unable to pay for college. Consider the research and training being conducted at nearby CSU Stanislaus and UC Merced and throughout the Yosemite Community College District. They are preparing the next generation to move our state and region into a 21st century economy. Going to college must be an option for every Californian.
Ultimately, Assembly Bill 67 ensures that voters get what they expected from the new taxes. Californians understand the only way to guarantee their children and grandchildren the same opportunities they had to pursue economic prosperity is by prioritizing financial support for public colleges and universities in Sacramento.
Our economy will not recover from the last recession unless we create a workforce able to meet the challenges ahead. Providing the resources necessary to equip future generations of Californians to succeed must be our immediate aim in the state budget.
Here in the foothills, we typically agree that if our kids and grandkids can get an education and there are jobs for them to fill, our society is moving in the right direction. It will only happen, however, if we put politics aside and put education first in California.
Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, represents the 5th Assembly District in the California Legislature.
But with high unemployment in many areas, uncertain government support for public schools, and skyrocketing tuition at our state colleges and universities, that optimism seems to be waning. That trend should be a signal to Sacramento that it must reprioritize investing in the futures of our children and grandchildren, without digging them deeper into debt.
Last year, the Governor asked voters to approve $50 billion in tax increases to supposedly meet those challenges, but with our economy just barely starting to recover, I still believe Proposition 30 was the wrong prescription for our state’s ills. Yet now that the taxes are law, the Governor and Legislature need to keep their commitment to voters by spending the money on what they said they would: education.
For too long, higher education has shouldered one of the heaviest burdens of state budget cuts, pushing tuition at our public colleges and universities to historic levels. Many families no longer feel the dream of a college education is in reach for their children.
That is why I was proud to co-author a measure freezing tuition at all of our state’s public colleges and universities for at least the next seven years, or as long as the tax increases from Proposition 30 remain in effect.
Only by passing Assembly Bill 67, can we ensure that students attending our public colleges and universities that they will have a stable tuition rate for the next several years. This is in stark contrast to the realities of the last decade that has seen average tuition costs jump by thousands of dollars. It is an action they expect and deserve.
This proposal is especially important to me as I think about my own grandkids and the world we will leave behind for them. So many in my generation had the opportunity to pursue higher education and start careers with relatively little, if any, college debt. We must make it a reality again for future Californians.
Our state cannot afford to risk losing our best and brightest minds because of the fear of being unable to pay for college. Consider the research and training being conducted at nearby CSU Stanislaus and UC Merced and throughout the Yosemite Community College District. They are preparing the next generation to move our state and region into a 21st century economy. Going to college must be an option for every Californian.
Ultimately, Assembly Bill 67 ensures that voters get what they expected from the new taxes. Californians understand the only way to guarantee their children and grandchildren the same opportunities they had to pursue economic prosperity is by prioritizing financial support for public colleges and universities in Sacramento.
Our economy will not recover from the last recession unless we create a workforce able to meet the challenges ahead. Providing the resources necessary to equip future generations of Californians to succeed must be our immediate aim in the state budget.
Here in the foothills, we typically agree that if our kids and grandkids can get an education and there are jobs for them to fill, our society is moving in the right direction. It will only happen, however, if we put politics aside and put education first in California.
Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, represents the 5th Assembly District in the California Legislature.
