By Rhonda Powell |Staff Writer|
Californians can vote for or against Proposition 30, on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Under the Prop. 30 measure temporary tax increases will go to fund education, local public safety, and amend California’s constitution.
Prop. 30 will increase personal income tax on earnings over $250,000 for seven years and increase sales tax by 1/4 cent for four years, from 7.25 percent to 7.5 percent according to cavotes.org.
Temporary tax revenues will go to school funding. Grades K-12 will receive 89 percent of the temporary tax revenues and community colleges will receive the remaining 11 percent.
Using Prop. 30 funding for administrative costs will be prohibited. Local school’s governing boards will choose how these funds will be spent in open meetings and possible annual audits to account for where funds were spent.
Although state universities will not benefit from the increased tax revenues, CSUs stand to benefit in other ways .
According to the CSU Board of Trustees, tuition will be lower for students beginning in the Winter 2013. Full-time students who paid their Fall 2012 fees, would be reimbursed or credited up to $166 each.
An e-mail from CSUSB Advocacy Alert mentions, “If voters pass Prop. 30, the CSU’s 2013-14 budget would remain flat,” meaning there would be no more tuition hikes.
If Prop. 30 passes it will prevent $6 billion dollars in tax cuts this year. It will also provide billions of dollars in school funding which will start this year.
CSUSB President Dr. Tomás D. Morales, said in his 2012 Convocation Speech, “If defeated, Proposition 30 would trigger a $250 million cut to the CSU, which equates to a $10 million cut to our campus. This would push state funding back to 1996 levels. Since that year, the CSU system wide enrollment has increased by more than 90,000 students.”
However, the CSU Board of Trustees have a backup plan of a 5 percent or $300 dollar increase per student starting January 2013.
So far CSUSB student’s approve of Prop. 30.
“If Prop. 30 passes it would be easier for me financially, getting an education should be something everyone can obtain,” said senior Nikolas Ellis.
Even professors on campus are voicing their opinions. “I’m voting yes on Proposition 30 because we need funding for education and education helps the economy,” said Dr. Aaron Moffett, CSUSB Department of Kinesiology.
Registered voters voting yes on Proposition 30 will agree to the increase on taxes for higher-incomes for seven years, the increase in sales taxes for four years and new tax revenues will be available to fund programs in the state budget.
Supporters of Proposition 30 want voters to also know that, “taxes are temporary, balanced and necessary for vital services.”
Those in opposition say, “Prop. 30 is a shell game; there are no assurances that tax increases will actually benefit classrooms,” according to cavotes.org.
If Prop. 30 fails there will be no increase on personal income taxes or sales tax, and state spending reductions, mostly towards education programs would take effect in Winter 2013.
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