There has been no more important year in recent memory for students to be involved in the state and national legislative process.
The number of major ballot propositions is staggering — budget propositions that could determine the future of community college funding; legislation that could substantially change the way criminals are prosecuted, and the ability of Californians to influence state campaign funding laws.
On top of that, there is a general election featuring presidential candidates who hold drastically different views on the economy and civil rights.
The Rampage editorial board is not endorsing any of these pieces of legislation; rather, we are endorsing student advocacy in this year’s political cycle. College students are notoriously absent from the voting process.
During the 2010 election cycle only one in five between the ages of 18 to 29 voted. America’s youth is vastly underrepresented when it comes to the policies which govern us.
Students are the demographic most affected by the biggest issues in this election cycle. Education is in dire straits. If we don’t make our voices heard, we could find our schools in calamitous situation.
Three thousand fewer students would be able to attend Fresno City College, and community college education can become just a game of Russian roulette, with not enough classes to get the education students deserve. You must get involved to make sure this does not happen.
The results of Proposition 30, a combination of the highly publicized Millionaires Tax Plan and Gov. Jerry Brown’s school stimulus plan, could make or break the California school system. The plan proposes increasing state sales tax by 0.25 percent and raising taxes on individuals making over $250,000 per year. This is estimated to raise between $6.8 to $9 billion for the California school system.
You can help make this happen. To get involved in Proposition 30, go to yesonprop30.com. To help put a stop to it, go to stopprop30.com.
Another important concern is Proposition 34 which if passed will end the death penalty in California. The U.S is the only industrialized nation in the world that still uses the death penalty. Capital punishment is currently illegal in 14 states. California currently has 725 inmates on “death row”. If you have a preference in this debate, get involved. To get involved in Proposition 34, go to safecalifornia.org. To help keep it from passing, go to waitingforjustice.net.
Proposition 35 will provide stricter punishments for human trafficking and sex slavery convictions. Even though it’s obviously already a serious crime, this proposition increases prisons sentences, requires sex slavers to register as sex offenders, applies additional fines that go towards their victims, and requires all sex offenders to disclose their internet accounts.
To get involved in Proposition 35, go to caseact.org. If you are against Proposition 35, register with Megan’s Law.
The next issue is one that will take some thought. Proposition 36 would repeal the “Three Strikes” law. As it stands right now, if convicted of three felonies, a person would receive a life sentence. The “Three Strikes Law” is on the ballot because some people argue that the law should be more relaxed, and only apply to violent crimes. To help get Proposition 36 passed, go to fixthreestrikes.org. To campaign against Proposition 36, go to savethreestrikes.com.
Finally, the presidential contest requires everyone’s attention. President Barack Obama and his challenger Mitt Romney have different views for the country and their take on social issues are starkly different. While Romney believes that students should “get as much schooling as they can afford,” Obama argues that “education cannot become a privilege of the wealthy.”
Romney believes that marriage should be limited to a man and a woman, but Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to endorse gay marriage. On both social and economic issues, these candidates for president are fixed in their places and the nation has become even more polarized than it was just four years ago.
The challenge is in discovering who best represents your view and joining forces to advance that position. Your future is at stake; make sure your voice is heard.
