By Megan Davis |Staff Writer|

With elections coming up tomorrow, students may be feeling wracked with political decisions. Obviously the big ticket item is the presidency, but the different propositions are of great importance that should not be ignored.

One in particular that affects us all drastically as CSU students is Proposition 30.

Proposition 30 was commissioned by Gov. Jerry Brown and is a Sales and Income Tax Increase Initiative that will raise California’s sales tax to 7.5 percent from 7.25 percent.

It will also create four high-income tax brackets for taxpayers with taxable incomes exceeding $250,000, $300,000, $500,000 and $1,000,000.

This increased tax will be in effect for 7 years. For many of us our families fall significantly south of that tax bracket so this tax raise will not affect us too directly.

I myself naturally balk at any proposition that suggests a raise in taxes from the government. We have the right to be disgusted with our government right now, both statewide and nationally.

If we do not pass Proposition 30 then other plans could be put into play, such as the competing Proposition 38 that would raise income taxes on those earning as little as $7,316 per year and for a period of 12 years. This would more than likely hit many of our families much more strenuously than Proposition 30 would.

“Nobody likes the idea of increased taxes, but our schools need help and the money isn’t going to appear out of thin air,” said student Ashleigh Ross.

So why should we vote yes on this Prop 30?

With the money gained from these increased taxes it will save the California Education System from another $6 billion in cuts to our schools this year, it will prevent steep tuition hikes for college students and their families, and it will invest in our schools and colleges so we can prepare the next generation for the jobs of the future.

“Supporting Prop 30 will support the present and future of higher education in California,” said CSUSB professor Chad Luck.

Every student in this school, including myself, is aware of the cost of an education these days and how it is becoming nearly impossible for an average middle class citizen to go to college. So what will happen if this prop does not pass?
If Proposition 30 fails the CSU system will take a financial hit so hard it could take decades to recover from it, a figure of $250 million would not be unrealistic at all to expect.

We have all seen the effects of budget cuts already. Our class sizes have nearly doubled, elective courses and extracurricular organizations has been lost, and many of our teachers have been laid off, and that’s just the beginning.
Even our local community colleges have had so many classes cut out of their curriculum that some students have been essentially robbed out of an education.

According to English professor Joel Harris, “If students want to graduate with their degrees on time, the school needs funding to offer the courses they need. Supporting Proposition 30 is a step in that direction.”

We as a student body need to be aware that although college is hitting our bank accounts hard, there are steps we can take to get our education system back on track.

Join me fellow students, and vote yes on Proposition 30.