In an effort to move forward a resolution in support of Proposition 30 at the Associated Students, Inc. senate meeting, almost half of the senate abstained from the vote – a vote that ASI President John Haberstroh said shouldn’t even be a second guess.
Cal State Long Beach’s ASI is one of the few remaining Cal State University student governments that has yet to support the proposition. The resolution passed on its first and second readings at the meeting last Wednesday and is scheduled for its third and final reading at the meeting today.
Prop. 30, which includes Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, proposes temporary increases on both California sales tax and income taxes for people earning more than $250,000 per year. The tax measure would help maintain state funding for the CSU system, but if it fails to pass this November, the CSU will face a $250 million trigger cut.
In its share of the trigger, CSULB will lose approximately $13 million from its budget. According to Haberstroh, losing that amount is equivalent to shutting down an entire college.
“Goodbye to the faculty, the classes and everything else,” he said.
Haberstroh said he was both surprised and discouraged by the number of abstentions. Nine senators voted in favor of the resolution, “Support of Proposition 30, Governor Brown’s Tax Initiative,” and one voted against it.
College of Engineering Senator Alex Sanchez said he was concerned the bill would have an adverse effect on small businesses in California.
Senator at-Large Manuel Nieto said he had never seen so many abstentions on a resolution in his three years with ASI. Nieto voiced his frustration to the senate when he explained why abstentions were one of his “pet peeves.”
“There are only two reasons that one should abstain: one is due to a conflict of interest, and two, because you have no idea what’s going on,” Nieto said.
In the past five years, the CSU has lost about $1 billion in state support, according to CSU Spokesman Erik Fallis.
Until ASI passes the resolution, senators cannot contact legislators or participate in advocacy supporting Prop. 30.
The California Faculty Association has displayed its support for Prop. 30 by asking its members to advocate the tax initiative in classrooms.
The California State Student Association (CSSA), a student advocacy group, already approved a similar resolution more than six weeks ago. CSSA is comprised of representatives from the 23 CSU campuses and is the single voice for more than 412,000 students in the CSU system.
After the vote, Haberstroh addressed the senate again during public comments, recommending senators “put [their] personal opinions aside and vote with the students in mind.”
Haberstroh said that by abstaining, senators were “taking away the voices of thousands of students.” He then asked the senators to be better informed of Prop. 30 at the next meeting.
ASI Senate meets every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in the University Student Union, room 234.