Community colleges are facing an 11 percent cut in funding this legislative season, and that has students and administrators fired up. Seattle Community College students will hold a rally 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 12 on the Seattle Central Campus south plaza. Speakers at the rally include Seattle Central’s President, Dr. Paul Killpatrick. Planners expect it to last a little more than a half hour.
From Gavin Richmond of the Seattle Central Student Council:
On Tuesday April 12th, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., Seattle Community College students will be rallying at Seattle Central Community College to protest the 11% in budget cuts our community colleges face this legislative season. The protest will include speakers ranging from Seattle Central’s President, Dr. Paul Killpatrick to the students who will be directly impacted by the cuts. All three Seattle Community College campuses will be represented, and demanding that our colleges continue to get sufficient funding.
Our educated workforce is the engine that drives our economic survival, allowing us to attract and retain powerhouse multinational industrial and technological corporations along with local startups and mom-and-pop operations.
Washington State Community Colleges— as we know them— cannot survive these cuts, and neither can our economy. Eliminate access to affordable education, and you eliminate the ability of businesses, small and large, to thrive here.
Slash funding for community colleges, and you slash at the social and economic fabric of the State. We are encouraging all local media resources to attend the rally, take photos and ask questions. For further information feel free to contact Jhoanna Ramirez at (206) 450-2651 [email protected] or Gavin Richmond at either (206) 853-6939 or[email protected].
UPDATE: Adding a few pictures from the rally and coverage of the release of the state Senate’s budget expected Tuesday night. Around 150 students and supporters attended the rally where Gavin Richmond asked the crowd to contact their state leaders. “Are you going to fight back?” Richmond asked.
A speaker rallies the crowd
President Killpatrick looks on
Images: CHS
So, where should the cuts be made? Nothing has been spared from the ax lately.
As cold as it sounds, equating budget cuts at the CC level to an impending implosion of the Seattle ecenomy is a bit far reaching. There are plenty of folks out there pounding the pavement with Bachelors and Masters degrees. People with the skills and knowledge are avilable, the jobs are not.
I think the colleges will survive just fine. Things will just cost more. Consider this your first real world experience…budgets are cut and projects are cancelled all the time.
Cuts cuts cuts. The problem is *not* spending. It’s revenue.
There is no more blood in the community college stone to squeeze out. There are stones out there fairly vomiting blood. So to answer your question, go where there actually IS money to be found, not where there isn’t.