Several propositions are on the state-wide ballot this year that will greatly affect the future of California. The main contender, which involves education and will directly impact DVC students following the vote, is Proposition 30. This proposition is already affecting students at DVC who plan to transfer to a CSU in Fall 2013. According to CSUMentor.org all application decisions will be postponed until the end of November, when Proposition 30 is voted on. If this Proposition does not pass the CSU system will have to significantly restrict the amount of people they are able to accept due to an estimated $250 million in cuts to the CSU system. In addition to that $338.6 million will be cut from California Community Colleges. Our college district would be facing a $9.2 million cut. If we were to endure these cuts DVC could lose an estimated 4,000 students.
This ballot initiative proposes increased tax brackets for the wealthy who earn an income of more than $250,000. These increases will start at 1% and will be at a maximum of 3% for the highest amount of earned income. The taxes would be adjusted according to inflation in future years. This new income tax collects revenue for a seven year period. Along with the new income tax there would an increase in the state sales tax, which would be an extra quarter cent on every dollar over a four year period. . Once passed the total revenue produced annually would amount to $6 billion.
These temporary tax increases would take the additional revenue that they have earned and allocate some of those funds to the public education system. According to the attorney general funds would be distributed as follows, 89% would go to K-12 and the remaining 11% would go to community colleges. This revenue would give us the vital funds necessary to keep DVC afloat.