Long Beach leaders stood at the steps of the Walter Pyramid yesterday to discuss how Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative would affect not only schools but also the city itself.
“We believe as partners it is our job … to inform everyone of these consequences, whether it’s a negative vote or a positive vote,” President F. King Alexander said.
Alexander was one of the speakers taking part in the advocacy effort for Prop. 30. Other speakers included Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent Christopher Stehinhauser, Long Beach City College Superintendent-President Eloy Oakley and Vice Mayor Robert Garcia.
“We understand that Long Beach is an education town,” Garcia said. “There will be a $75 million cut to our local economy. That is just something that our people cannot bear.”
If Prop. 30 does not pass, the CSU will also face a $250 million trigger cut, and CSULB’s share of that cut would be $21 million. Prop. 30’s passage, however, would maintain state funding already allocated to the CSU in the state’s budget for higher education.
Alexander said that if Prop. 30 passes in November, CSULB would avoid shrinking its class catalog.
“We’ll keep 2,000 classes, number one,” Alexander said. “Number two is that we won’t substantially be reducing enrollment. And that doesn’t impact our current students as much as it impacts our students coming in.”
According to Alexander, CSULB has been one of the most efficient colleges in the nation. Taking on even more cuts to the system would only bring down the quality of education offered to students, he said.
“There is a modest tax increase,” he said. “We are already closed for January in trying to handle [the previous budget cuts.]”
According to Long Beach City College Superintendent Eloy Oakley, it remains unclear whether the money will go straight towards classes or teachers.
“We know for certain where the money is not going to go if Prop. 30 fails,” Oakley said.
Alexander also said the proposition will not add funding towards schools, but passing the proposition will prevent the entire school system, including K-12, from being hammered with cuts.
Associated Students Inc. President John Haberstroh said that ASI is working to increase awareness of Prop. 30 among students by holding registration booths and publicly supporting the proposition.
“We are heavily involved in voter registration efforts and about telling people what’s going to happen if [Prop. 30] fails,” he said. “We want to motivate them in a way that makes them want to vote.”
Haberstroh said he hopes students will be aware of the fact that less classes will be available and tuition will go up next spring if Prop. 30 does not pass.
“Making up $21 million in abundance is quite impossible if you want to maintain quality and affordability,” he said. “It will be a dark day on the university.”
Students can register to vote on campus until Oct. 22 and on campus voting booths will be available on Election Day to those registered in the area.