Proposition 30 is the single most important item on the November ballot for UCLA students ““ if voters do not approve this measure, the state will make devastating cuts to the University of California.
The measure, sponsored by Gov. Jerry Brown, would temporarily raise the state sales tax by a quarter cent and increase the income tax for high earners.
Should voters approve the measure, new tax revenue generated would go toward K-12 schools and community colleges, freeing up state funds for other purposes, such as higher education. The state has made an agreement with the UC to allocate the system an additional $125 million for 2013-14, in exchange for freezing tuition, if Proposition 30 passes.
But, if the measure does not pass, the UC stands to lose $375 million and students may see midyear tuition hikes of 20 percent or more.
UC students could make all the difference in whether this measure passes.
The most recent polls show that the measure is just below majority approval among likely voters. In a Daily Bruin/UCLA Department of Statistics survey, only 35 percent of students said they would vote “yes” for the measure.
Though Proposition 30 prevents substantial cuts to the UC, the measure does not provide a long-term solution to systematic political and budgetary problems that have resulted in growing state disinvestment in the university.
But for now, Proposition 30 is the only answer to maintaining the UC’s funding for this school year and we strongly urge students to join us in supporting the measure.