An upcoming tax measure, Proposition 30, which will raise income tax for Californians earning more than $250,000 a year will be voted on in the upcoming November election.

Proposition 30, which would cause massive trigger cuts to California public education if not passed, would raise state sales tax by 1 cent per $4 spent and would go to fund K-12, colleges and universities and other programs according to a San Francisco Chronicle article.

DVC professor, Glen Appell, gave his opinion on the ballot, “If Prop. 30 does not pass we are truly in trouble. Thousands of classes will be cut at Community colleges statewide and the K-12 school year will be cut by three weeks. We absolutely must pass this measure.”

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget already assumes the passage of Proposition 30. In effect, the measure would prevent further cuts to education and would not restore any programs lost in previous rounds of cuts. “Without this additional revenue our educational system will be left in shambles. The cost to the average taxpayer will be 25 cents on a one hundred dollar expense. I think we can all afford to chip in a few cents to save education in California.”

The proposition states that the temporary tax revenues would be allocated 89% to K-12 and 11% to community colleges.
However, concerns over the wording of the measure have arisen from various factions like StopProp30.com, among others. According to an article posted on their website StopProp30.com feels voters will, “Oppose (the) seven-year, $50 billion tax hike, including billions in higher sales taxes and huge increases in income taxes targeted to Mom-and-Pop small businesses, most of which file their taxes as individuals and not corporations.”

Appell is not convinced however, “The proposition requires that the money be used for education. Don’t be fooled by any propaganda that says otherwise. Its in the text of the long form.”

DVC student David Rogers, sophomore political science, said of the measure, “In a word I agree with it, however it is not free of faults. 89 percent of the tax revenue provided via this bill goes to K-12 and only the remaining 11 percent will be allocated to community colleges, and apparently the CSU and UC systems will not benefit from this proposition at all.”

Rogers expressed a general concern for the position California community colleges have been forced into stating, “11 percent of $6 billion per year for seven years is nothing to sneer at, however, it seems that the proposition is unfairly weighted to K-12 education and given the state of tuition hikes in the California community college system and the ever-increasing reliance California residents have on it. This distribution doesn’t seem fair.”

Appell is not the only DVC professor in favor of the measure, “If Prop 30 fails, we face cutting approximately 515 classes,” said Political Science professor, Dorene Mazzone. “That will be devastating for students who are trying to enroll in the courses they need to complete their certificate or major, and transfer to four year institutions.”

The measure comes after several rounds of budget cuts resulting in 485,000 fewer students attending community colleges since 2008, more students than currently attend the community college system.

Mazzone gave parting words of advice, “Accessible, public education is what helped to make California a great state. We need to reinvest in public education. Your future demands it.”