California̢۪s higher education infrastructure is in a state of flux, and state legislature has been haphazard in its attempts to bridge a multi-million dollar budget deficit.
According to the latest polls, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legislature have received record low approval ratings for their handling of higher education. Schwarzenegger received a disappointing 21 percent while legislature received 16 percent.
Despite the recent injection of stimulus funding intended to restore more than 200 class sections and rehire an unspecified number of lectures at California State Universities, it is not enough to rebound from cuts of historic proportions. Legislature must consider alternatives that do not interfere with students̢۪ graduation plans.
The solution? Assembly Bill 656. Urge support for a bill that would tax oil extraction to pay for higher education.
The bill calls for taxing oil and natural gas drawn from California land and allotting the money to the 23-CSUs, 8-UCs and community college systems throughout the state. As proposed, the bill would raise $1 billion a year. The majority of the funding would go to the CSU, according to the bill̢۪s author, State Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont.
The issue is divisive, with proponents of the matter saying it will alleviate the effects of the fiscal crisis while detractors argue that resulting tax increases will add to the already overstretched general fund.
Weeks of rallying and demonstrating have resonated with university officials, with President John D. Welty even considering the piece of legislation. On Nov. 18,Torrico will make his way to the Fresno State campus to lobby on behalf of the bill.
California, which is the third largest oil-producing state in the nation, does not have such a tax in place. Other large oil-producing states, such as Texas and Alaska, have a similar bill implemented that funds social programs and education. Yet state legislature has been hesitant to pass the bill. AB656 has been rejected numerous times since mid-June.
Millions more in higher education and state funding cuts loom ominously for the foreseeable future, so California Legislature should be doing all that it can to fund higher education.
The numbers do not lie. California graduates have powered the state; The Master Plan was framed upon this concept. By 2025, the state will fall 1 million college graduates short of its needs, according to recent estimates from the Public Policy Institute of California.
In the past seven years, funds have been cut from the CSU̢۪s portion of the state budget as well as admission freezes, furloughs, a reduction in class sections and ultimately delayed graduations all in efforts to reduce costs. A billion-dollar boost from the bill has the potential to finance thousands of students educations.
The state is a long way from solving its financial and funding obstacles for higher education, so any reasonable measure that can be taken should be implemented. AB 656 is not a perfect solution — but it is a start.