event
information & details
Protest / Demonstration
Protest Cuts to Education and Financial Aid! Protest Tuition Hikes! Protest Cuts to Benefits and Wages of State Workers!
Date/Time
March 4 (Thursday),
1 PM
Location
Seattle Central Community College Plaza
Sponsored by
SCCC United Against Budget Cuts
We are protesting cuts to education and elimination of most state based financial aid! We are protesting attacks on state workers who provide sorely needed serices. We are protesting cuts to social programs! We didnt cause the financial crisis and we shouldnt be made to pay for it!
full description & details:
Democratic Governor’s Proposed Cuts to Seattle Community Colleges Next School Year:
· 7% tuition hike in addition to this year’s 7% hike
· The State Need Grant would be cut by more than $5 million for students at the Seattle Community Colleges: Roughly 3,300 students would see their awards cut by 54% and grants would be completely eliminated for nearly 1,000 more
· Suspends the State Work Study programs affecting more than 350 students
· $4.5 million cut from Seattle Community Colleges; eliminating educational programs, classes, teachers, and/or staff pay, hours, and benefits
WE DEMAND:
· No budget cuts to education and vital public services!
· No tuition hikes or elimination of state-based financial aid!
· No layoffs or cuts in wages or benefits for public employees!
· A full federal bailout for state budgets and education!
· Money for jobs and education not war!
· Yes to a free, fully funded, democratically run education system for all!
BACKGROUND
With the strain of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression bearing down upon students and workers alike, the Washington state government has recently proposed to cut at least $90,000,000 from the budget for higher education and increase tuition by an additional 7% at community colleges and 14% and four year universities! This comes after cutting $325,000,000 last year and raising tuition by 7%.
In addition, Democratic Governor Gregoire’s December Supplementary Budget proposed to eliminate most state-based college financial aid which would affect 12,000 students and the Basic Health Program that provides healthcare to 68,000 elderly, children, and the poor. The cuts to education and desperately needed social services likely mean layoffs for teachers and college workers, higher tuition and book prices, reduced student services and choice of classes, and more restrictive entry requirements for both community and four-year colleges.
Not enough money?
While federal and state officials claim that these cutbacks are the result of a state revenue shortfall, they have no trouble finding and supporting $708 billion for the largest military budget in human history, $33 billion for the troop surge to Afghanistan, or $14 trillion for the bailouts of Wall Street. Currently, the federal government spends more for war than all 50 states combined spend to run the country!
Yet when money is needed to fund public health programs, education, and other essential social programs for working people and students, the money is scarce. If they can find trillions for war and big business, why can’t they bail out state budgets and prevent draconian cuts to vital social programs and education?
Democratic Governor Gregoire has promised to not tax the big corporations or the rich that call Washington State home or rescind tax cuts for these rich companies and the wealthy. However the Governor and the Democratic-dominated state legislature have been talk of raising “sin” taxes which would directly impact working people and students, forcing us to pay for the crisis that big business caused! Working people and students are overtaxed as it is.
According to the Economic Opportunity Institute’s 2009 “A Stimulus and Recovery Plan for Washington State”, if the state taxed those making over $200,000 a year just 3% and those making a million or more a year 5%, the state would raise $2.58 billion during the 2009-11 budget period. Additionally, if the tax breaks for the richest were rescinded, this would generate $890 million. We can’t afford cuts, but the rich can certainly afford to pay more taxes! Join our fight for:
How can we fight back? Organize!
If students, teachers, and staff are firmly united, organized, and mobilized to win public support, these cuts can be defeated. Students, faculty, and staff throughout the University of California system when confronted with a devastating 32% increase in tuition organized rallies, marches, strikes and occupations of campus administration buildings. Their movement scored an important initial victory by forcing Republican Governor Schwarzenegger to publicly commit to finding funds for the University system. According to a top level aid to the Governor, the decisive factor in compelling the Governor to find the money was the protests by UC students and staff!
The UC activists have put out a call for a National Day of Action on March 4th against cuts to education and tuition hikes. That call has been answered by students, faculty, and staff from coast to coast, and actions are being organized. Join us in organizing protests at your school, across the state, and across the country to demand full funding for education and social programs, not war and bank bailouts!
Contact Person:
Bryan Watson
Contact Email:
bryan.watson01@gmail.com
Contact Ph. Number:
206-841-5566
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