Posted on 04/21/2008 3:40:54 PM PDT by SmithL
SACRAMENTO — The Legislature's Democratic leaders vowed during a student protest today to fight $1 billion in higher education cuts, setting the stage for a summer-long deadlock over the deficit-plagued state budget.
Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, made the comments to a crowd of hundreds outside the Capitol that included contingents from California state universities San Jose and Hayward, and UC Berkeley. The chanting, sign-waving demonstrators also included students from Bay Area community colleges.
"We need to raise taxes to preserve education,'' Perata said.
The Senate leader, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, and other Democrats cited examples of Republicans, who can fill out the two-thirds vote needed to raise taxes, instead blocking recent proposals to hike an oil tax and close a yacht-sale tax loophole.
The GOP lawmakers have sided with GOP Gov.. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pledge not to raise taxes. The Democrat's comments came just days before Schwarzenegger's chance to alter his proposed budget in the traditional May revision, based on the latest revenue figures.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said in an interview that "the governor is just as frustrated as lawmakers are'' about budget cuts, which is why the governor is campaigning for a spending-control measure on the November ballot.
"Democrats need to start engaging in less talk and more action,'' McLear said. "The sooner they start participating in solutions, rather than pointing out the frustrations, the sooner we can work together to solve this problem.
Some of the students from the demonstration were scheduled to meet with lawmakers after the rally. Schwarzenegger was in Los Angeles for an unrelated event.
Students from the Bay Area said in interviews that they fear the proposed cuts will lead to additional tuition hikes at a time they are already struggling financially. They said they also fear the trend of budget deficits and higher fees may make it impossible for their young siblings to attend universities and colleges.
Separate, coinciding protests were scheduled at several campuses around the state.
Chiyumba Ossome, 19, a sophomore at California State University, Sacramento, joined more than 1,000 other students and supporters to demonstrate against proposed cuts to funding of the state's college systems in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed 2008-09 state budget, during a rally at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, April 21, 2008.
I Dare You!
We want free education and higher taxes until it's our turn to pay
That’s it, take one of the largest sections of the state budget and put it in a lock box. That’s sure worked wonders in the past, getting us to precisely where we are today.
It’s time for an outside auditing firm to take a look at the education system in the state of California, and help us lop off about 75% of the management and whatever other overhead that can be categorized as little more than waste.
Ask where the money’s going, kids. Look at the staff parking lots, count the number of high end cars, especially in administrative spaces. Realize that the chancellor of your school is pulling down a heck of a lot of money, and he’ll continue doing that for the rest of his life due to sweet retirement packages.
But they’d rather stick it to you than take a more reasonable salary. Aim those protest signs at those who are robbing you blind.
The california mantra. It's all our politicians know is how to raise taxes and pander to the unions and special interests that own the state so that they can preserve their own political power. No matter the state is going to be bankrupt once anyone capable of paying taxes leaves.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
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