[QUOTE]Originally posted by lig
Personally - I thought the deleted post was remarkably perceptive for one so young.

So many of the younger generation are so apathetic when it comes to politics and world events - we should encourage them - not censor them.

 

Patdeisa -

He could have been just as effective but less inflammatory - you're right.

 

all hell is about to break loose

 

Stop agreeing...this is supposed to be a fight!

 

In a way, I meant to be inflammatory. At the same time, the moment i posted it, I knew there would be some backlash. In any case, I wrote it at a very emotionally charged time, and I am very passionate about politics, which lead me to perhaps go overboard.

Being a student at UCSD, I feel that this whole fiasco affects me perhaps more harshly-or has the potential to do so-than any other Californian. Case in point: because the California Legislature cut funding from the UC system, tuition fees increased by 40% just this year, across the board. Special needs funding is also down, as is the money needed to do such simple things as loft our dorm room beds. I am deeply saddened that California's politicians, Gray Davis included, were (and are, for the legislators still in office) shortsighted about the future of the state. By investing in the prison system, they perpetuated a budget-draining institution; if they had invested that same money and more in education, if would have a trickle-down effect (isn't that eerie to reference reaganomics?) which would reduce crime, result in a more educated society that is more keen to insist on a quality education for their children, and a more prosperous society. Ths UC system is a profit generating enterprise for the state of California; at a subsidy per student of approximately $60,000 per student over the course of four years, imagine how much the average UC graduate pays back in taxes over the course of his or her lifetime? A lawyer, doctor, or businessman might pay that much or more back in one year. And the system can't operate as such if students receive a less preparatory education, and lose the California job opportunities that keep them here and keep them paying california's income taxes(which are being driven out of the state as we speak by the economic crisis). By not investing in education, you get much more than just less-prepared professionals; you get a society that is self centered, and one that is less focused on future generation's well being.

For 3 years on my high school newspaper, I wrote editorial after editorial on the impending doom that the San Diego City School district faced with Businessman Alan Bersin as its superintendent. His policies have resulted in the degradation of my high school, which was far and away the highest-performing in the county (we ranked #41 nationwide in AP tests passed per student per year at 2.41). When I was a Freshman, our API index ( a standardized measure of academic performance, based ont he SAT-9 [now CAT-6] tests) peaked at 847, more than 100 points higher than any other school in the district. Now, as a result of the integration of bersin's dumbed-down curriculum and "nobody gets left behind" policies, that score has fallen below 780. The very nature of our society is that some succeed, and some will fail; I know it sounds elitist and egotisical, but the effort spend to bring up the bottom, while necessary, is excessive and prevents the top percentages, the future leaders, from receiving the best education that is possible. The same fate I fear will befall the UC system if the budget shortfalls continue to be placed on the shoulders of students. Since Arnold failed to specify where his cuts will be in the system, and since Education is (and should) be one of the largest (still despite its thinned stature)sections of the California budget, I can only imagine how much more it will be cut. The Reverend Jesse Jackson when speaking to a crowd here likened students voting for Arnold to chickens voting for Colonel Sanders; I don't want my head on the chopping block.

Quick2K

P.S. I hope that was a bit more elegant than before.

 

Ahhh.... Much better and more mature... Thank you. That post shows you have a much better head on your shoulders than the original one did.

I believe I stated earlier, Cal Poly, SLO's tuition went up 100% in the past 4 years. I feel for you. I now have an additional $3k in student loans my wife had to take out to finish her last year. I know it's not much and indeed an unbelievable investment, I just hate having to owe people money (granted for a car or house, it's the way of life). I believe the new governor won't cut back on schools, and possibly will concentrate more on them to trim the fat and improve them. Here's hoping...cheers!

 

wow...look:

http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/commercial/

This gave my suitemates and I a good laugh.

Quick2K

 

Believe me, this election, has GIGANTIC implications on me too. We can all agree, that as reasonable people that we all want financially the same "end game" we want for everybody to have the best life possible. It is the method in which acheiving it, in which we differ. BTW props to us, the few under 25 married middle class, who are in to politics.

See the reason that I was soo against the Democrats in this election, was based on the fact of the specific Democrat candidates in the race, Bustamante, said that he was going to tax the highest bracket more (which I am not in) then he said, he would make businesses "pay their fair share" well here it goes, he stated that he wanted to DOUBLE the business property tax. You see by him doing that, I would have had to lay off an additional part time employee. Which in turn would have a negative effect on my sales, because I would need to close early. So not only would the state be missing the sales tax aquired during the lost hours, but the taxes of that employee, and my personal business tax because the sales would drop.

If you read into some older speeches, specifically JFK (D), you will see that he said that due to the raising of taxes, it had a negative impact on the economy. He further went on to say that he was going to lower taxes to relieve the burden on businesses, so that they would be able to hire more people, have more production and sales, therefore, bring in more revenue.

Also, for the record, so nobody thinks that I am a cook, I am agnostic, I am pro-choice, and for Domestic partners. However, I am about as hard of a right winger on financials. I have been on both sides of the fence, and I have come to see the light. I believe that someone stated that the more educated you are the more liberal you vote? Read into the wall street journal, and look at the leaders of the mutual funds, I think that you will come to find many

 

Bustamante also said he wanted to make services subject to sales tax. So I would have to add sales tax to my fee to prepare your tax return. But guess who was going to be exempted from the tax on services-- Attorneys! I don't know if Cruz is an attorney, but over half the legislators in this state are. Why would legal advice be exempted, but not tax advice? This is just an example how things are done in Ca. and I hope how they stop being done under the next administration.

 

My wife also prepares taxes, so you are on the front lines as well, so you get to see it firsthand. You see I also should note, that I get to see a little inside information, being that my "day" job, is working for Sacramento County, as a Payroll Specialist. I only need to work about an hour a day. We have a Dem. director, who believes that we need to spend every single penny that we get. Even if we have money left over, they will force people to sign up for training, even if they don't go and take it, because that uses up all of the money in the dept. budget, which gives them a "reason to ask for more funding."