Dear Editor,

As a fellow University
of California student in Santa
Barbara, I am writing to express my concern about the
looming budget cuts. Here at UCSB, we are already seeing the effects of the
cuts with proposed fee increases and cutbacks in student employees. I am sure
the situation is similar in San Diego.
Until the major deficits in the state budget can be recovered, the cuts will
continue. Because education is not the top priority for our state legislators
right now, we need to take it into our own hands to ensure that our educational
quality and opportunities do not evaporate. If we do not take action ourselves
as students, who will?

Solving the state’s budget crisis may seem like a daunting
task, but there is something we can do about it. A simple solution such as a
carbon tax would have many associated benefits. A tax of just a few dollars per
barrel of oil could generate substantial revenue for the state, alleviating a
significant proportion of the deficit. The price at the pump would go up a few
cents, but that is nothing compared to the extra couple hundred dollars you
would owe the University of California
every quarter.

The impact would be felt the greatest by large corporations
that use large quantities of oil, pushing them to invest in alternative energy
sources. This will have obvious benefits in reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

It is time for us to get involved so that our state deficits
do not burden us now as students, or in the future as taxpayers. Start discussions
about a carbon tax with your relatives and friends, pointing out that the tax
could actually benefit them in the future. Organize in student groups to get
your voice heard. It is time for our generation to step up and express what is
important to us.

— Jeannette Figg

University of California,
Santa Barbara