Tax Oil Companies, Not Students


Posted on 04 March 2010

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionSend to friendSend to friend

By Robert Cruickshank

As protests unfold across the state and the nation yesterday against cuts to education and fee increases, more attention is finally being drawn to the massive crisis facing our students, our schools, and our future.

20 years ago a year at UC Berkeley cost just over $1,000 in fees. Even that was much higher than the $0 cost that the 1960 Master Plan pledged. The early 1990s saw a big rise in fees, and by the time I started at UCB in 1997 the cost had risen to over $4,000 a year. Now the cost is slated to rise to a whopping $10,000 per year, something many students and their families cannot afford to pay. And even as those costs rise, including at CSU and community colleges, classes are being cut as educational quality declines.

It's no way to run a state. California's current prosperity is owed largely to the investments Pat Brown made in the 1960s, building a public higher education system that was the world's envy - and that fueled our innovation and economic creativity. But instead of renewing those investments for a new century, Arnold Schwarzenegger is destroying them. The fee increases are a massive tax increase on the young and on the working- and middle-classes. They must be reversed.

The only way they will be reversed is to generate new revenue. That's why the Courage Campaign, where I work as Public Policy Director, is joining the California Faculty Association and the University of California Students Association in launching our pledge to support AB 656, the oil severance tax for California.

AB 656, authored by Assemblymember Alberto Torrico, would generate $2 billion a year for higher education by levying a 12% tax on the extraction of oil and gas in California. Texas uses this tax to fund higher education there, and Sarah Palin increased Alaska's oil severance tax in 2007 in order to buy the love of her constituents. Every major oil producing state in the union has an oil severance tax - except California.

The result of this massive tax break we give to oil companies is the destruction of our public colleges and universities. Fees have risen since the early 1990s only because of cuts in the amount of state funding the schools receive. The only way to make college affordable again is to increase that funding. An oil severance tax is a good place to begin.

Stand up for students, for faculty, for staff, and for higher education by taking the pledge to support AB 656 today. We will use these pledges to help convince the legislature to pass the bill, adding to the fact that 2/3rds of Californians said they'll pay higher taxes for education. Let's tax oil companies, not students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Cruickshank is a historian, activist, and teacher living in Monterey. He is a contributing editor at Calitics.com and works for the Courage Campaign, in addition to teaching political science at Monterey Peninsula College. Currently he is completing his Ph.D. dissertation in US history, on progressive politics in San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s. This article was originally published in Calitics.

Comment viewing options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
7 + 9 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

All Five Fingers Shoes sale online with free shipping and factory direct.please enter our Vibram Fingers Shoes website,choose you love baretfoot running shoes.

As Seen On TV As Seen On TV As Seen On TV Discounts As Seen On TV Discounts As Seen On TV Promotions As Seen On TV Promotions As Seen On TV Store As Seen On TV Store As Seen On TV Products As Seen On TV Products As Seen On TV Infomercials As Seen On TV Infomercials TV Kitchen TV Kitchen TV Fitness TV Fitness TV Household TV Household TV Health TV Health TV Auto TV Auto TV Pets TV Pets TV Video TV Video TV Gifts TV Gifts TV Electronics TV Electronics TV Kids TV Kids Video Game AccessoriesVideo Game Accessories Game AccessoriesGame Accessories PS3 accessoriesPS3 accessories Wii accessoriesWii accessories NDS accessoriesNDS accessories PSP accessoriesPSP accessories XBOX 360 accessoriesXBOX 360 accessories PS2 accessoriesPS2 accessories iPhone accessoriesiPhone accessories Laptop Battery Laptop Battery Laptop Batteries Laptop Batteries discount laptop battery discount laptop battery notebook battery notebook battery computer battery computer battery replacement laptop battery replacement laptop battery notebook batteries notebook batteries Toshiba Laptop Battery Toshiba Laptop Battery Dell Laptop Battery Dell Laptop Battery Acer Laptop Battery Acer Laptop Battery Apple Laptop Battery Apple Laptop Battery Compaq Laptop BatteryCompaq Laptop Battery HP Laptop Battery HP Laptop Battery Lenovo Laptop Battery Lenovo Laptop Battery IBM Laptop Battery IBM Laptop Battery ed hardy clothing ed hardy clothing Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch tiffany jewellery tiffany jewellery links london links london ugg boots ugg boots the north facethe north face pandora pandora links of london links of london

GHD GHD
GHD Straighteners GHD Straighteners
GHD Hair Straighteners GHD Hair Straighteners
GHD IV Styler GHD IV Styler
GHD UK GHD UK
Ghd Hair Ghd Hair
Chi Flat Iron Chi Flat Iron
Chi Hair Chi Hair
Ceramic Chi Flat Iron Ceramic Chi Flat Iron
Chi Flat Irons Chi Flat Irons
Chi Hair iron Chi Hair iron
Ghd Iron Ghd Iron
Ghd Flat Iron Ghd Flat Iron
GHD IV MK4 Gold GHD IV MK4 Gold

G Star Raw G Star Raw
G Star G Star
Jeans G Star Jeans G Star
G Star sale G Star sale
G Star shop G Star shop
G Star jeans G Star jeans
G Star jacket G Star jacket
G Star t shirts G Star t shirts
G Star clothing G Star clothing
G Star shoes G Star shoes
G Star raw clothing G Star raw clothing
G Star raw jacket G Star raw jacket
G Star raw jeans G Star raw jeans
G Star raw denim G Star raw denim
G Star raw t shirts G Star raw t shirts
G Star raw shoes G Star raw shoes

uggs uggs
MBT MBT
abercrombie deutschland abercrombie deutschland
ugg boots ugg boots
thomas sabo thomas sabo
ugg boots ugg boots
ed hardy ed hardy
Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch
tiffany jewelry tiffany jewelry
Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch
Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch
Cartier Cartier
Gucci Gucci
shamwow shamwow

abercrombie deutschland abercrombie deutschland abercrombie abercrombie abercrombie and fitch abercrombie and fitch abercrombie & fitch deutschland abercrombie & fitch deutschland abercrombie & fitch frankfurt abercrombie & fitch frankfurt abercrombie münchen abercrombie münchen abercrombie tees abercrombie tees Abercrombie Jeans Abercrombie Jeans Abercrombie Pants Abercrombie Pants Abercrombie Tees Abercrombie Tees Abercrombie Shorts Abercrombie Shorts Abercrombie Sweater Abercrombie Sweater Abercrombie Outerwear Abercrombie Outerwear Abercrombie Hoodies Abercrombie Hoodies Abercrombie Polo Abercrombie Polo Abercrombie Shirts Abercrombie Shirts abercrombie henleys crew abercrombie henleys crew hollister hollister hollister uk hollister uk abercrombie mens abercrombie mens abercrombie womens abercrombie womens Ruehl 925 Ruehl 925

ugg boots ugg boots ugg stiefel ugg stiefel
uggs uggs ugg australia ugg australia ugg boots sale ugg boots sale ugg boots deutschland ugg boots deutschland uggs on sale uggs on sale damen ugg stiefel damen ugg stiefel bailey button ugg boots bailey button ugg boots classic tall ugg boots classic tall ugg boots classic short ugg boots classic short ugg boots classic cardy ugg boots classic cardy ugg boots classic mini ugg boots classic mini ugg boots metallic ugg boots metallic ugg boots

thomas sabo thomas sabo ugg boots ugg boots uggs uggs MBT MBT GHD GHD G Star Raw G Star Raw ed hardy ed hardy Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch tiffany jewelry tiffany jewelry Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch Cartier Cartier Gucci Gucci shamwow shamwow

Thanks for you sharing! We are the famous laptop adapter supplier and laptop battery supplier. Our main products are various rechargeable laptop battery and laptop adapter compatible with brand laptops, including IBM, COMPAQ, HP, DELL, SONY, ACER, ASUS, APPLE, and TOSHIBA and so on. Because we are the laptop battery manufacturer and laptop adapter manufacturer, we could wholesale laptop battery and wholesale laptop adapter. Our factory is seated in china, so we sell the laptop battery china and laptop adapter china. We also know the laptop could be called notebook, so the products we sell could be also called the notebook battery and notebook adapter. we could be called the notebook battery supplier, notebook adapter supplier. We welcome you to visit our notebook battery manufacturer and notebook adapter manufacturer.

ugg bootsMake tracks to Abercrombie And Fitchthe nearest lodge in this Columbia Sportswearalpine-inspired zip up Columbia Shoesfeatures the cozy look of a sweater outside and the comfort of soft fleece inside Columbia FEATURES No need to Lace Wigsdodge raindropsOmni-ShieldColumbia Mens Shoes water-repellent finishColumbia Sportswear Clothing offers great protection ugg bootsfrom the elements Columbia Sportswear OutletFlattering seaming at the waistWedding Dresses and front slantED Hardy pockets Shaped fit Made of 100Abercrombie And Fitch polyester Heritage sweater ugg bootsfleece Omni-Shield ED Hardyadvanced repellency Front slant pocketsColumbia Sportswear Parka Columbia Jackets ALPINE TRAX FULL ZIP Columbia Hiking Shoes Columbia Clothingsweaters Columbia Sportswear Jackets full zip jackets women s sweater Columbia Sportswear Titanium Columbia Sportswear Sale

ugg boots ugg boots
uggs uggs
ugg sale ugg sale
ugg boots sale ugg boots sale
cheap ugg boots cheap ugg boots
ugg australia ugg australia
winter boots winter boots
discount ugg boots discount ugg boots
ugg boots 2010 ugg boots 2010
cheap uggs cheap uggs
uggs on sale uggs on sale
australia ugg boots australia ugg boots
womens uggs boots womens uggs boots
mens uggs boots mens uggs boots
kids uggs boots kids uggs boots
UGG Boots Accessories UGG Boots Accessories
bailey button ugg boots bailey button ugg boots
nightfall ugg boots nightfall ugg boots
sundance ii ugg boots sundance ii ugg boots
ultra tall ugg boots ultra tall ugg boots
ultra short ugg boots ultra short ugg boots
classic tall ugg boots classic tall ugg boots
classic short ugg boots classic short ugg boots
classic cardy ugg boots classic cardy ugg boots
classic mini ugg boots classic mini ugg boots
metallic ugg boots metallic ugg boots

As Seen On TV As Seen On TV
As Seen On TV Discounts As Seen On TV Discounts
As Seen On TV Promotions As Seen On TV Promotions
As Seen On TV Store As Seen On TV Store
As Seen On TV Products As Seen On TV Products
As Seen On TV Infomercials As Seen On TV Infomercials
TV Kitchen TV Kitchen
TV Fitness TV Fitness
TV Household TV Household
TV Health TV Health
TV Auto TV Auto
TV Pets TV Pets
TV Video TV Video
TV Gifts TV Gifts
TV Electronics TV Electronics
TV Kids TV Kids

Abercrombie And Fitch Abercrombie And Fitch
ed hardy ed hardy
Laptop Batteries Laptop Batteries
the north facethe north face
tiffany jewellery tiffany jewellery
links of london links of london
Video Game AccessoriesVideo Game Accessories
the north facethe north face
ugg boots ugg boots
pandora pandora
north face jacketnorth face jacket
North Face Mens JacketsNorth Face Mens Jackets
the north facethe north face
Snuggie Snuggie

louboutin knockoffsThe Ritz line offers abercrombie clothessmall clutch bags Tiffany Jewelry on salecovered entirely with Swarovski Crystalsclassic tall boots. Because they comejerseys wholesale in a range of styles - from classic designs hocky Jerseysto contemporary fashion statementsJimmy Choo Shoes - they work for a range of womenAlexander McQueen Shoes. They run from $700 to $750Abercrombie Women Sweater. These classic bags Abercrombie Men Poloscome in solid colorsTiffany & Co. Earrings that let the design Tiffany & Co. Money Clipsand crystals shineUGG Australia Womens Metallic. The contemporary bags UGG Australia Women's Sandraalso feature crystalsUGG Australia Adirondack, but they are used to createAbercrombie Women Hoodies modern symbols such as a handgunUGG Australia Ultra Tall, skull and crossbonesHandbags Designer, and an anchorLeather Handbags. All of the Ritz bags closePrada Handbags with a crystal encrustedDolce & Gabbana handbags, gold-toned push-lockChristian Dior handbags. The bags are lined in supple leatherJimmy Choo handbags and most have a detachable shoulder chainMiu Miu handbags. All bags from this collection come with a plushVersace handbags , drawstring bag for storagecheap shoes. They measure about 5 inches wide by 3 inches high and 1inches deep.
Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Leather Bag-White 201292

Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Leather Handbag-Black 163805

Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Leather Satchel Bag-Apricot&Red

Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Leather Shopping Bag-Silver

Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Shopping Bag-Apricot 181491

Famous Gucci Canvas With Cowhide Shopping Bag-Apricot 181491

I agree with this so much. We definitely need to tax the oil companies more in the future. they are making all the money.
boca raton family dentist

hairstyle is important nowadays.We offer the cheapest ghd Hair Straighteners , ghd, ghd straighteners in the market.all the kinds are very beautiful,especially the pink ghd,ghd iv styler.Also, we supply Shox R4,Shox NZ,Shox r2,Shox turbo,Shox TL3 and so on.welcome to our online shop to purchase.

Very Useful information, this is both good reading for, have quite a few good key points, and I learn some new stuff from it too, thanks for sharing your information. Want to buy at low prices? There is a good source to help your business grow and profitable to buy handbags at wholesale prices from our best China wholesale online stores offering wide range of wholesale products including Gucci, designer handbags, wholesale handbags, replica handbags, UGG boots, shoes, clothing, watches, jewelry, wallets, wholesale shoes, wholesale clothing, wholesale watches, wholesale jewelry, wholesale wallets, wholesale UGG boots and many more. Whatever style you choose, you would get a good price!

Do you like gucci shoes? and then gucci outlet will satisfy any of your needs,such as the gucci men shoes|women gucci boots as well as women gucci handbags on gucci handbags sale.

Are you searching for a simple wedding dress, but you are unsure about the types of dresses that are available and the elements of styles that can be seen through these dresses? wedding dresses collection Learning about the dresses and learning about the elements that can come with simple and elegant wedding dress designs can help you to get the look that you want for your wedding and ensure that you are able to have elegance, China Wholesale through the simple dress choice that has been made.

Awesome tips. I’ll be passing this post on for sure

Jerom,
credit card application

The design of advanced tiffany rings is involved in the biosphere full of fantastic colors, and the lawn wedding decorated with jewelry taking the original wild beasts, color tiffany jewelryfascinating tropical plants and smart bird symbolizing joy as modeling, is passionate and bold.The Right time to Pick tiffany and co, The Best tiffany bracelet to Enjoy

1. The leave-shaped mysterious bracelets are a perfect work of tiffany jewellery art which include the watch chain composed of the different sizes of seven thin diamond belts, as well as the leaf-shaped tiffany bracelets case wound made of two platinum leaf blades. The bracelets show the elegance of love tiffany coperfectly, which make every girl fall in love with.

It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

car finance

I worship any star in NFL team, such as the New Orleans Saints|Indianapolis Colts|New England Patriots|Baltimore Ravens|Pittsburgh Steelers|New York Giants. so I am fascinated to the NFL jerseys very much, no matter any one NFL jersey in my collection, just as the Tom Brady jersey|Peyton Manning jersey|Ray Lewis jersey|Jason Taylor jersey, which are my best witness as the NFL loyal fans.

Thank you for submitting this cool story - Trackback from Dotbot.
iPad Converter

I think that to get a pair of beautiful Glass Shoes, you'd better to have a pair of suitable mbt shoes. It is better to have a pair of practical mbt shoes sale online than has a pair of brand-name shoes.If we can have a great pair of mbt shoes, then why not consider to buying a pair of high quality and cheap mbt shoes?

For a PhD candidate, your research skills are atrocious.

we will use these pledges to help convince the legislature to pass the bill, adding to the fact that 2/3rds of Californians said they'll pay higher taxes for education.

Going to your own source one finds that two-thirds of people wanted to spare K-12 education and were willing to increase taxes to do so. Higher education had lesser support.

The exact statement, cut and pasted in:

When asked which of the four main areas of state spending they would most want to protect from budget
cuts, 58 percent choose K–12 public education—the area most Californians have wanted to spare each of the nine times PPIC has posed the question. Fewer choose health and human services (17%) or higher education (15%). Far fewer choose prisons and corrections (6%). Californians back up these views when asked if they would be willing to pay higher taxes to maintain current funding for these areas:
 K–12 public education: 66 percent yes, 32 percent no
 Higher education: 50 percent yes, 48 percent no
 Health and human services: 50 percent yes, 47 percent no
 Prisons and corrections: 11 percent yes, 87 percent no
Across political parties, and regional and demographic groups, residents are most willing to pay more
taxes to maintain funding at K–12 schools, with 79 percent of Democrats, 58 percent of independents, and 49 percent of Republicans saying they would be willing to do so. Prisons and corrections garner less than 15 percent support for higher taxes across parties, regions, and demographic groups.

If you actually READ the document:
http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_110MBS.pdf

K-12 education is the only thing that over half of the public is willing to increase taxes to support. 47% of the people opposed a tax increase to fund higher education and 47% opposed a tax increase for social services. That isn't much of a mandate for anything other than K-12 education.

Perhaps AB 656 should be rewritten to send the money to K-12 education instead of to higher education.

You make some decent points - points I would agree with (although I don't trust our legislature with the management of an oil severance tax directly. It would then become just another income source for them that they would build in to their baseline, and since it is a depleting source they'd build themselves a disaster when all the oil was pumped. Far better we do something like the Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/20/norway-sovereign-wealth-fund

in which the legislature and the governor would have to keep their grubby little hands off the capital and content themselves with the interest and dividend income flow from the fund. That way it would never run out which would force more cuts or tax increases somewhere else.

But then you go and put in some TOTALLY STUPID comment like this.

Fees have risen since the early 1990s only because of cuts in the amount of state funding the schools receive.
(Boldface added for emphasis)

Are you sitting there trying to tell us that there have been no raises or increased benefits to UC and CSU staff since the 1990s? In the 2006 biennium the UC alone had over 17,000 employees making over $100,000. In 2008 the number was 21,000. How many did they have in 1990?

I do really understand how it feels that the most important thing that we can give in our children is education. It is an indispensable knowledge for everyone that education is essential and the continued from state education budget would make it harder for us to render good education and future as well to our children. They can minimize budget in other ways but not education. Me, as a parent really run for payday loans for me to be able to support my children’s tuition fee.

Comment viewing options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
10 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.


Breaking News