Governor Brown Advocates for School Funding, Energy Efficiency
DEBORAH CHEN
Copy Editor
In 2011, California faced a $26.6 billion budget deficit. When Governor Brown took office, he eliminated these shortfalls in revenue with billions of dollars in cuts in the previous two state budgets. He went on to advocate a 2013-2014 state budget to increase investments in education, implement health care reform and stabilize California’s finances. Brown plans to considerably increase state funding for each student in K-12 schools and community colleges, which will increase by $2.7 billion by next year. By 2016-2017, the annual funding will increase by $19 billion.
“Education has such high value and, as high school students, we are pushed to go to college and have a successful life. […] The governor’s plan could help lower the costs of tuition and send many students to college,” junior Vivian Phang said.
The state budget also increases funds for UCs and CSUs by five percent, which is an additional $250 million. Brown plans to strengthen California’s higher education system, reduce student debt and ensure affordability with a stable funding plan. Due to the rapidly rising cost of higher education, low and middle-income students are paying the price. By having UCs and CSUs use their resources more effectively and shorten the time it takes for students to complete their degree, the system will be more affordable for both the students and the state.
“It’s a great idea that Governor Brown is rededicating funds to universities and colleges because we should be showing commitment to the future and to the students who will be leading our country,” history teacher Jose Sanchez said.
Brown has also proposed to provide half of the revenue from Proposition 39, around $400 to 450 million, to fund energy-efficiency projects at K-12 campuses and community colleges. He hopes to build facilities that use renewable energy so that schools can cut utility costs.
The governor also proposed another plan that will invest in renewable energy technology and create more than half a million green jobs.
“Investments in clean energy produce two to three times as many jobs per dollar as gas, oil or coal,” Brown said, according to jerrybrown.org. “Clean energy jobs and businesses have grown much faster than the economy as a whole in the past fifteen years and have continued to grow even during the economic downturn.”
Brown’s plan includes setting a goal of 20,000 megawatts in renewable energy, plus investments in original efficiency technology by 2020. His goals include making existing buildings more efficient and adopting stronger appliance efficiency standards.
According to jerrybrown.org, investing in clean energy and increasing efficiency are critical components in rebuilding the economy. Doing so will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, increase energy independence and protect public health.
However, some believe that the success will be short-lived and not viable as a long-term solution for California.
“Like anything else, we will have to keep looking at the situation and evaluate it. […] In order for it to last long term, we need to look at a better way to generate a steady stream of revenue,” Government and Economics teacher Paul Stein said.