Students representing UC and CSU campuses across the state converged on the capitol steps in Sacramento to rally against proposed cuts to higher education and to promote education funding over state prison funding on April 19.
The rally included members of the University of California Student Association, the California State Student Association and a delegation of graduate students who lobbied various legislators.
“I think it was a really productive rally,” UCSA organizer Matt McFeeley said. “It was great for the two systems to show solidarity, when in the past, budgets have often pitted the systems against each other. But now we’ve found common goals.”
UCSA and CSSA officials advocated “education not incarceration,” a strategy which would ask legislators to save funds by not opening Delano II, a maximum-security prison currently under construction in Kern County slated to cost $110 million annually to operate. They also advocate the closure of five more prisons, namely Pelican Bay State Prison, Folsom State Prison, Valley State Prison for Women and the California Correctional Prison in Susanville, citing corrections’ officials predictions of a dramatic decline in the state’s prison population. Closing these prisons, they argue, would save the state approximately $511 million a year. Scrapping Delano II, they claim, would be enough to restore funding for outreach programs.
“One of the things legislators often ask us when we ask them not to cut our budget is where to get the money from, and we have come up with a concrete proposal,” UCSA Chair Matt Kaczmarek said.
According to Kaczmarek, the student representatives met with about 90 legislators, and have received support in addition to a few “concrete commitments.”
Assemblywoman Carol Liu (D-Pasadena) took part in the rally to speak about higher education.
“It is [Liu’s] opinion that we should definitely oppose further cuts to education,” Candice Chung, Liu’s press secretary said. “She opposes the governor’s proposal to cut down Cal Grants, and believes we need to link the grant to the actual rising cost of education.”
Liu is sponsoring bills for lower textbook prices and increased predictability in fee increases.
“Some [legislators] are advocating for us very loudly,” California State Student Association Chair José Solache said. “Obviously, it would be nice to have more of those, but one voice can make a change.”
McFeeley said that legislators have walked out of the budget process in the past, and he hopes that the “core group of supportive legislators” will not vote for a budget with higher fees.
The May revision of the governor’s budget will determine whether or not Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal will include the cuts the students are lobbying against.
“We’ll keep working together until then, and hope for the best,” Solache said.
UCSD students present at the rally included A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Harish Nandagopal and Vice President of Academic Affairs-elect Caroline Song.
“I felt we got a lot of positive feedback from the legislators,” Song said.
