• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Friday, May 29, 1998

California's maladies will destroy state

if we don't act now

EDUCATION: Money won't fix fundamental problems; public school system must be reformed

By Daniel B. Rego

California is the most dynamic and diverse state in this country and in the world. From the Mother Lode country to Death Valley, from Los Angeles to the Central Valley, and from the Northern Coast to the Sierra Nevada, this state embodies everything (as can be seen from the fact that California was the birthplace of both the Black Panthers and the John Birch Society). California is facing a nexus where we must make changes in order to prosper. But we cannot have a fix-all solution for every part of the state, because what is good for one part of the state can be devastating to another part. There are a few things which do affect us all, and we must solve these problems before they grow out of hand and destroy us.

The most pressing problem is that of K-12 education. Our school system is a sick joke these days. We are living in a state where the California Teachers Association (CTA) won't even endorse the current Superintendent of Public Instruction. The problem is that we simply throw money at California's children while failing to actually teach them. The fundamental problem cannot just be solved with money, but by changing the entire system. This means getting back to the basics. We must focus on changing this fundamental problem, for if we don't, all the money in the world won't solve the problem.

We must also work on our colleges. California has a three-tiered college system (community colleges, CSUs and the UCs). This works out very well. It allows the state to have some of the best colleges in the nation (e.g. UC Berkeley and UCLA) while giving everyone the opportunity to get post-high school education (notably at community colleges). What we must do is strengthen the community colleges, especially in those areas where college admissions are low. They serve as a place where people of all ages and stations in life can learn and grow. Community colleges are very important to this state and they have been overlooked for far too long. We must also build more CSUs (and are doing so with the UCs, as the Merced campus is being built). This will be necessary due to California's rapid rate of growth.

One of the most pressing problems is that of California's massive growth. Reasons include immigration from other countries and states. This will have a major impact on the infrastructure of this state. It raises such concerns as the need for water, energy and space to build more housing. We cannot let California become a huge megalopolis as in "Blade Runner." This is not a simple problem to solve and will need a lot of work, if California is to prosper.

Water is one of the main concerns. It is needed to supply our growing agricultural sector in the Central Valley, as well as supply water to the ever growing population. Aqueducts from the Owens River and the Colorado are good to some degree, but we must find alternatives. Ideas range from purification plants to more massive reservoirs being built. Indeed, we must find a way to quench California's thirst.

Another problem is taxes. Due to Proposition 13, which passed in the 1970s, property taxes are capped at a certain rate. But this state has one of the highest income tax rates in the country, as well as one of the highest sales tax rates, which gives us a combination of taxes that is unmatched by any other state! For families to be able to succeed and invest in the future, we must let them keep more of their money by cutting these insane taxes! This will come back to haunt us if do not act upon this problem.

Another serious problem is the over-regulation of this state by state agencies. A centralized state agency cannot control everything without creating problems for some parts of the state (if not most of it). California has taken the right step with the de-regulation of the electric utilities, but problems still remain. We have far too many rules governing what we can and cannot do. These only serve to hurt small businesses and virtually kill those businesses created in low income areas by persons of less-than-able means. Small businesses are the key to our state's economic future. We must repeal many of these regulations which only serve to strangle these businesses.

We must localize government since this state is so large; a single centralized agency cannot handle it with efficiency. We need local control over local matters. To do this, we must delegate operations to counties (most of which are small and closer to the people) and cities, as well as to give local control within cities such as Los Angeles. Services would be more accountable to the people this way, as compared to the bureaucrats in Sacramento.

California is changing. We must make sure that California has a stable infrastructure. We must make sure that we have the opportunity to succeed through low taxes, less governmental regulation and a quality system of education that helps everyone and rewards excellence. California is the Golden State. This is more true than ever. The gold of California is not some yellow metal, but the rolling hills and fields of Wild Mustard, and the diverse climate and regions that make California unique. We must all work to make our communities a better place. We must work for a place where we can follow our dreams.Rego is a second-year pre-political science student.