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| SCC students heading for Olympia Photo courtesy SCC |
The Shoreline Community College Student Body Association organized a rally in the state Capitol in Olympia Monday at the opening of a special session of the state Legislature, November 28, 2011.
The Student Body Association (SBA) organized the rally in opposition to proposed budget cuts for higher education. More than 100 students were expected to attend the rally with bus transportation and other support provided by the SBA. The SBA had previously organized a Teach-In Day on campus for students to learn about the issues surrounding the potential reductions.
They were part of many groups which headed to the state capitol to protest the cuts anticipated in public education, higher education, and social services. Some of the protestors became unruly on Tuesday, November 29, and Sen. Ed Murray, chair of the Budget committee, shut down that day's budget hearing.
The primary part of the state budget that lawmakers have access to for cuts is the General Fund, which is almost all funding for education and social services. Most of the money in the state budgets is in "earmarked" funds such as transportation and salaries and can't be touched by lawmakers.
Lawmakers do have the ability to raise taxes, but recent initiatives have limited that avenue as well, and citizens have indicated their hatred of motor vehicle excise taxes.
The citizen group League of Education Voters has provided a tool for citizens to see how they might handle balancing the state budget, which currently has a projected short fall of $1.4 billion.
"Do you increase school class sizes? Eliminate a support program for 15,000 aged, blind and disabled Washingtonians? Increase the sales tax? Eliminate exemptions to the estate tax? Now you can answer to your own satisfaction. The budget calculator offers a list of possible cuts and new revenue sources, allowing you to mix and match your way to a balanced budget."
The Senate Democrats, which sent out the budget calculator in their newsletter, cautioned that,
"One thing to keep in mind - this tool provides options for increasing state revenues, which includes closing tax looholes. In order to do so, two-thirds - or 66 members - of the 98-members House and two-thirds - or 33 members - of the 49-members Senate would have to come to agreement in order for any of these options to pass."
Nice to see these children have the time for this. I don't recall doing anything like that because I was working full time, was attending SCC when I could fit it in, plus still doing Air Guard duty.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes children, there is no provision in the state or federal constitutions to you to have college. Join the rest of us who had to WORK to go to school, juggle schedules to attend classes and don't need to suckle on the teat of momma government to get by.
Wow, anon 10:10, have you thought about getting therapy to overcome all of that bitter?
ReplyDelete