Practicality over Principle? Measure A Examined

Measure A screams practicality. If the state budget will not provide the funds necessary to maintain education standards then provide it yourself.  The theory couldn’t be simpler; when the state facilities don’t stretch far enough the local community steps in. But should the local residents really be picking up the state government’s slack when they fail to provide for their citizens?

Kari Fry (Measure A Campaign Volunteer, Parent, and product of DJUSD Schools) can be found at the Farmers Market to convince you to vote Yes on Measure A to support public education in Davis.

Education is an established right, there is no denying that. But repeatedly cropping and cutting budgets are in effect infringing that right without explicitly removing it. The right to education has moved leaps and bounds from the time when it was simply deemed rightful for people to receive some sort of schooling. In today’s world the right to an education incorporates the right to the highest quality education possible. Thus, cut backs and layoffs are cleverly undermining this right as year after year education budgets are hacked at.

I can’t pretend that I’m well versed in California state politics, nor can I say that I have witnessed any decline in education standards in the state because of previous budget cuts. What I can say with certainty is that cuts to education are happening across the pond as well. In my time at high school in the UK I saw cut backs to teachers and resources as well as subjects removed from the national curriculum due to budget cuts. Similarly since being at university in Ireland I’ve been hit with annual fee increases because of government budget reductions. Repeatedly at UC Davis professors have commented upon the budget restraints they have recently faced, at least 6/9 who have taught me have apologised for no longer being contactable by phone because the budget took away their phones. Despite the idea of calling a professor on the phone being very strange to me it has just reinforced the message that education funds are being hacked at by governments across the globe.

The way we react to these cuts, in the US and Europe are largely the same. We hold rallies, protests and sign petitions but the answer rarely changes; the budget is still reduced. So what can people do to uphold their educational institutions?

As I said before Measure A is a great example of practicality. Passing the measure will enable the Davis Unified School District to gather the money they have lost from the state. However in such a practical move have they not overlooked the principle of what is happening here? Is a ‘yes’ vote not simply a wider ‘yes’ to the state government that they can continue chopping at the vital institutions across the state: ‘oh it’s fine, they’ll raise the money locally.’

Looking back at Davis’ history this is not the first time the local community have been called upon to raise funds after state cut backs. Will passing another measure not simply open the door to this practise becoming the norm, effectively enabling the state to neglect education, thus undermining the basic right we all expect?

Davis’ dedication to local education is admirable but one must cast an eye outside of the city’s boundaries, how are other areas coping with the cut backs? If initiatives such as Measure A have been implemented in other cities would a state increase in taxation – specifically towards education – not be a better answer? Or are these moves a suggestion that education should be placed completely under local control?

Whether you’re voting for or against Measure A take a minute to think outside of the local area; whilst the proposal is practical for Davis’ needs, the initiative surely undermines the entire principle of public education.

Editor’s Note – Voters who wish to drop their ballots off rather than mailing them may deposit them in a clearly marked drop box at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. The library will be open until 8 p.m. on May 3.

The Yolo County Clerk of Elections offers an interesting service to confirm receipt of your mail ballot. Visit http://www.yoloelections.org/ and select the “Find the status of your mail ballot” to verify that the ballot you mailed in for the Measure A campaign has been received.