California Politics: Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare - Essay Example

1. Education The long standing impression that California has a good standing educational system is starting to wane due to numerous challenges it is facing. In the elementary education, a study conducted by Rand Education on the state of California’s K-12 public schools revealed that increase in student population, fluctuations in school funding, lack of experienced teacher, deteriorating school facilities, and low student achievement outcomes are the pressing concerns of the state and the community (Carrol et al. 169). The secondary education faces the same with additional challenges on college and workforce preparation for the students. California has become the melting pot of immigrants in the U.S. which contributed to increase in student population and increase in the demand of English proficiency lessons in school. In addition is the inverse proportion to the potential taxpayers at 11.8 percent compared to the school-aged population which is 12.8 percent (Carrol et al. 170). Since the education budget of school districts relies on the states’ economy, it receives continuous cuts on the budget. The combined budget deficiency exacerbates the deterioration of school facilities and lack of experienced teachers because the districts could not afford to provide enough training to newly hired teachers or give enough compensation to retain current teachers. The rising problems in tuition fee increase and unemployment creates dilemma to students in secondary education on whether they will continue higher education or not. Students clearly need guidance from the school, community, and at home on what type of career to pursue to prevent waste of resources from enrolling on a wrong degree. The above challenges are political because the system requires the voters to approve propositions which the state afterwards has the sole discretion on budget appropriation such as Proposition 13 and Proposition 98 that limits the revenue options of school districts that relies on state economy. 2. Higher Education California has three public systems for higher education: the California Community College system, the California State University System, and the University of California system. California education depends primarily to the General Fund in the state that appropriates budget to all other government agencies and unfortunately continuously receives declining funds due to federal system that prioritizes provision of subsidy to need-based financial aid like Medical and taxes spending on higher education.The support of Stage General Fund to UC and CSU systems has declined to an annual average of 7 percent in 2007-2008 and 2011-2012 which forces the three public systems to reduce its subsidy allocation per student(Hoffert, Jackman and Ang 1). The rising cost of tuition fee in higher education and rising unemployment forces secondary level students to join the workforce right after graduation to help subsidize the family needs creating a huge gap between the few who have earned higher degree exacerbating the already declining number of professional Californian’s and the ratio between the educatedrich and the not well educated poor. In this instance, providing access to quality higher education to interested students is not a question since it will provide a long term benefit for the state and the country to produce abled and educated individuals who will someday govern the market development. It may cost the government a lot to invest in education but in the long run it is more sensible to provide high standard education to people than overdo public aid on health and other services to a community who do not have the knowledgerequired to compete with the global economy. 3.Social Welfare Admittedly, the state government is on its heels to think of ways to solve the increasing demand for welfare support amidst the low returns of taxes due to rising unemployment and inflation. Amongst government services, the health and welfare comes first in appropriation before education. However, certain cuts and budgetary alignments have already been made in the welfare services like the proposal of the Governor for budget cuts on CalWORKs, reduce parents’ access to welfare-to-work services and shifting of families to the new child maintenance program(California Budget Project 31). Majority of the recipients of social welfare services are children and the government conducts budgetary changes in the assumption that their parents have acquired employment overtime. Budget cuts and realignment can provide interim solution to continue spread government resources that includes low income people, foster youth and mentally ill. This is an important strategy to continue during recession because increasing child poverty increases state and national poverty as well. Estimates done by California Budget Project revealed that childhood poverty cost America “around $500 billion per year in lost adult productivity and wages, increased crime, and higher health expenditures – equivalent to 4 percent of national Gross Domestic Product” (47).Lost potential for children and their families contributes to high drop-out rate in school, increase juvenile cases and substance abuse, and increase in likehood to become an adult living in poverty (California Budget Project 46).Increase in poverty means lesser opportunity for the state to compete with the emerging global market. 4. Propositions TheSF Gate ofSan Francisco Chronicle recorded nine propositions included in the 2010 elections that were placed in the hands of the voters. The people who constitute the government have the right to vote for the approval and dismissal of propositions that would impact their lives. The families and communities are the main actors and recipients of both negative and positive economic and social forces thus they are the better judges for what benefits and harm them in comparison to the few elected and appointed officials who acts as representative. Voting for Propositions not only practices individual freedom to choose but prevents further proliferation of red tape and advancement of ideals and agendas that are not representative of the state needs or only beneficial to a particular group. Proposition 19 vetoed at 53.8% was to legalize marijuana in California allowing 21 years old and older to acquire, grow and transport marijuana for personal usage with appropriate taxes and government regulation. Proposition 20 is aboutredistricting of congressional districtsthat garnered 61.4% yes votes. The Proposition 21was about annual vehicle license surcharge that would provide funds for state parks and wildlife programs but it was vetoed by 57.5% of the voters. The Proposition 22 that won 66.6% yes votes from the people would prohibit state from using local funds for transportation and other government services.Proposition 23 delighted the environmentalist when it won 61% votes from the people because it prevented the suspension of AB 32 that requires companies to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rapid global warming. Proposition 24 that would have repealedallowance of lower business tax liability was vetoed at58.3%. Proposition 25 in turn won a 54.9% yes votesthat would require simple majority votes to pass budget. Proposition 26 also gathered yes votes of 52.7% that would allow approval of certain state and local fees by 2/3 votes. Lastly, Proposition 27 gathered 59.4% no votes to eliminate state redistricting commission. Works Cited California Budget Project.“Cuts and Consequences: Key Facts About the CalWORKs Program in the Aftermath of the Great Recession”. February 2012. Web.10 May 2012. Carroll, Stephen et al. California’s K-12 Public Schools How Are They Doing?.Santa Monica, California: Rand Corporation, 2005. Web.12 May 2012. Hoffert, David, Jackman, Robert, and Ang, Shaowen.“Public Higher Education in California: Examining the Financial Landscape of the 21st Century”.Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (Sieper Policy Brief). Stanford University, April 2012.Web.11 May 2012. SF Gate. San Francisco Chronicle.“Election Results California 2010.”Hearst Communications Inc., 15 Nov. 2010.Web. 11 May 2012. Read More