California College Students Plan Day of Action on Budget Cuts

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dina Cervantes
Chair
California State Student Association

The leadership of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), California State Student Association (CSSA) and University of California Student Association (UCSA) have come together in a historic coalition, called Students for California’s Future and announced that Monday, April 21, 2008 will be a Day of Action across California with major marches being planned at the State Capitol and downtown Los Angeles.

Over 3.2 million students at the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems are represented with the unification of these organizations because all would be adversely affected by $1 billion dollars in cuts to higher education.

The CCC system provides accessible higher education for all Californians, the CSU system has demonstrated its economic worth by proving that every dollar invested by the state directly generates $4.41 in return, and the UC system secures $6 in federal and private research dollars for every $1 towards state research funding. The Coalition believes it requires combined strength from all to create the stronghold of educational preparation and inspiration for entrepreneurship that California boasts.

This is why CSSA has come together with UCSA and SSCCC to institute a statewide day of action on April 21, 2008 to be marked with calls to legislators, marches, and rallies, It is the day no student should be silent in the face of $5.3 billion dollars in cuts to education.

Our generation has yet to see another issue with the power to singlehandedly affect multitudes of Californians the way these budget cuts could so now is the time to put aside differences, come together, and ensure a better, brighter future for all”.