As I shared with you in a previous blog post, the Community College League of California had urged trustees to write letters to legislators, asking them to pass a budget with $8 billion in new taxes.
My strong feeling is that the people most hurt by a statewide tax increase would be our Sierra College students, who rely on the part time employment market that would shrink as a result. Fewer students would be able to pay their way through school, resulting in either more student debt, or less opportunity to go to college.
So, I wrote a letter to our legislative leaders and the Governor, asking them to urgently pass a budget, but to oppose a massive statewide tax increase.
Now, I must say...I'm not Governor Schwarzenegger's biggest fan. But I did appreciate his comment in the form letter I received today that "California cannot tax its way out of this budget deficit."
Here's the Governor's letter...
And while I'm at it, I'd like to note that Scott Lay, the CEO of the Community College League of California, contacted me to point out that the League is not solely funded by the 72 community college districts, and that these alternate areas of funding exceed its lobbying budget.
I still think that it is inappropriate for the League to get involved in choosing sides on a budget in that manner, but my post might have been a little more balanced if I had also pointed out all of the other great things the League does to support the mission of community colleges.
Scott is a great guy...a little misguided on policy sometimes (I'm sure he thinks the same of me!), but a dedicated advocate of the value and quality of community college education.