This year, California faced a budget shortfall of $60 billion.
Everyone has an opinion about how his or her money should be spent and the best ways to deal with the deficit, but I’m tired of hearing about the need for creative solutions to help solve the deficit.
There are no creative or alternative solutions that would make up for such a large shortfall.
The University of California is already raising tuition, and to keep it from increasing more, programs and services must be cut.
In theory, most people accept this fact, but the more I read and talk to people, the more I hear: “We shouldn’t cut (insert favored area here).”
We shouldn’t cut Cal Grants. We shouldn’t cut Night Powell. We shouldn’t cut state funding for education. What I’m really hearing is, “We shouldn’t cut anything that directly affects me.”
For all the people up in arms about budget cuts, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. You know what’s best for the state. You know what we shouldn’t cut. So what should we cut?
To help you out, I’ve included a table that outlines the top budget expenditures for California’s general fund. But there are a couple of pieces of information you should know before making your final decision.
For the 2009-2010 year, spending on K-12 education increased by $1 billion and higher education increased by $366 million. That comes out to an increase of approximately 3.5 percent each from the previous year.
Compare that with areas such as Corrections and Rehabilitation (decreasing 18 percent) or Legislative, Judicial, Executive (decreasing 50 percent) and it looks like California is still pretty devoted to its education system.
However, while there is an increase in funding for higher education, the increase is mainly being devoted to the community college system. The state cut $813 million in funding for the UC this year alone.
The inherent truth with budget cuts is that there are going to need to be trade-offs.
UC campuses are going to need to cut back on some of their programs, and funding for scholarships may decrease, but the trade-off is that California is trying to expand the education to all of citizens through the more affordable option of community colleges.
On a tight budget, you either try to improve the quality of colleges or the quantity of people they help. You can’t do both.
If students believe we should discard community colleges to support the UC system, that’s fine; but then don’t blame the state for abandoning education. If that’s the case, UC students aren’t mad that California is cutting funding for education, it’s that they are cutting funding for their education.
This gets at the heart of the larger problem I have with discussion on the budget cuts.
I’m all for more transparency and discussion in regard to financial decisions, and in that respect, I agree with those who supported the walkout. But the basic tenet that some people don’t seem to want to confront is that the sacrifice and changes that budget cuts create are going to be on the individual.
That means they are on you.
Not faceless taxpayers or government officials ““ you.
In other words, want creative solutions for solving the budget cuts?
Try studying during the day instead of depending on Night Powell. Request a book through the interlibrary loan system and wait two days for an art book. If you are having trouble paying for education at the UC system, consider going to a community college for a couple of years.
These sacrifices are hard. They are meant to be hard. Some of the easiest cuts are in discretionary areas that are meant to cushion our way of life.
By sacrificing now, we can continue to pay for research and development programs and reduce the price we are going to pay in the future. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
If anyone can give me a realistic plan that will balance the budget and do a better job of funding California’s public education system, I will ensure that it gets published in next week’s Community Viewpoint section.
If not, then start thinking about the cuts you can make in your own life to deal with those made from above. That’s my challenge to you.
E-mail Elliott at relliott@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments toviewpoint@media.ucla.edu.