Raise state’s grades by raising taxes

The Golden State isn’t so golden anymore. According to a
new study, the quality of life in Southern California has eroded
significantly in past years, raising the question: Can the
Governator make good on his promise to improve the state without
raising taxes? It’s unlikely, but hopefully he’ll be
willing to do whatever it takes ““ even if it means crossing
party lines.

Last week, the Southern California Association of Governments
released their annual quality of life report. The results were
worse than my report card. Southern California received
near-failing grades in three of the seven categories monitored by
SCAG: housing (D+), education (D) and congestion (D-).

According to the study, the home ownership rate is 55 percent
versus the national average of 68 percent. We have the lowest
number of high school graduates among the country’s nine
largest metropolitan areas. Our residents waste nearly 50 hours a
year on traffic delays. To boot, our air quality was rated
“C”, which may disqualify us from $8 billion in federal
transportation funding.

The outlook isn’t good. As SCAG president Bev Perry told
the L.A. Daily News, “People are going to be faced with a
choice”¦. “˜Are we willing to step up and pay for some of
the things that need to be done to improve our quality of
life?'”

Most likely, the answer to Perry’s question is
“no.”

Gov. Schwarzenegger’s fiscal conservatism will prevent
California from getting the funds it needs. While a poll done by
the Public Policy Institute of California found that six out of 10
likely voters favored tax-increases as part of the solution to our
state deficit, the governor isn’t paying notice. As promised
on the campaign trail, Schwarzenegger favors spending cuts and
borrowing, while resisting tax increases.

Federal inheritance-tax cuts cost California $1 billion in
revenue this year. But according to the San Francisco Chronicle,
Schwarzenegger remains reluctant to increase state taxes to
remediate the loss ““ unlike the governments of seventeen
other states. Schwarzenegger instead maintains that millionaires
are fleeing California to find better tax rates.

It’s true that fewer state residents have reported an
income of over $1 million since the dot-com crash, but California
is still home to one-fifth of the nation’s billionaires. Not
to mention the fact that it’s the sixth largest economy, and
a key part of the technology and entertainment businesses. People
will stay and pay because California is still a state with great
opportunities. Schwarzenegger should be more concerned about people
fleeing for better air, speedy traffic and affordable housing.

We can’t expand our roads, reduce emissions, promote
public transportation, and improve education without the money to
do so. Everyone hates taxes, but if we don’t bite the bullet
our quality of life will simply deteriorate further.

For UCLA students in particular, the state of the state
represents a lose-lose situation. School fees have been raised.
Financial aid programs have been reduced. Outreach programs have
been cut. And there are few alternatives to state schools for many
students.

Governor Schwarzenegger needs to cross party lines and support a
Sacramento bill that seeks to restore the old 10 percent and 11
percent tax brackets, allowing for an additional $3 billion from
the rich. That money could be used to ease some of the slack put on
college students since Schwarzenegger came to office and cut
funding for higher education.

It’s the only way our state can get its own GPA up.

Dang is a third-year political science student. E-mail him
at [email protected]. Send general comments to
[email protected].