Editorial: Send a letter to our state leaders
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 3, 2010 9:00 p.m.
Today, students, faculty and advocates for public education across the state and the nation will call for an increased commitment to education from legislators.
This editorial board stands in solidarity with those who demand support for the University of California, as well as additional funding for California State Universities, community colleges and K-12 ““ the stepping-stone to higher education.
The editorial board encourages students to get involved by writing to our state leaders. The following letter to our district’s state representatives can also be accessed and printed from dailybruin.com.
Dear Assembly Member Karen Bass or Sen. Fran Pavley (pick one):
I write to you as a student and as an advocate for public education. For the past six months, students at the University of California have been protesting a vastly shrunken budget and the subsequent cuts to academic programs and rapidly diminishing educational opportunities.
In November, the UC Board of Regents passed a 32 percent student fee increase, yet even with this hike, the university is still facing an insurmountable budget shortfall.
As we watch our class sizes increase, our lecturers and teaching assistants lose their jobs, our peers drop out and our options for elective courses disappear, we implore you to prioritize funding not only for the UC in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, but also for all levels of public education.
We attend one of the most prestigious university systems in the nation, yet in the face of this budget shortfall, we find ourselves questioning the value of our education.
More and more programs face the chopping block each day, and the detriment to our education cannot be underestimated.
The university can only rely on temporary funding for so long; it is time to permanently support the schools our state has prided itself on in the past.
While we recognize the fiscal crisis of the state as a whole, investment in education is imperative for the future of our state.
The UC is not only a storied educational institution but also a primary supplier of the state’s skilled workforce and an essential engine of economic growth.
The governor’s proposed budget represents a vital commitment to education that will provide the stability students need. Help us return our focus to learning, rather than on our finances.
Thank you for your time, and I appreciate the dialogue that has already started in an effort to remedy these problems.
Sincerely,
(Your name here)
(Your address here)
