Whereas, California Proposition 30, also known as the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012, is a revenue-raising initiative from Governor Jerry Brown on the November 6, 2012 ballot that amends the California State Constitution to increase the state’s sales and use tax by a quarter-cent for four years and increase personal income tax rates on income above $250,000 for seven years by creating three additional tax brackets,

Whereas, in over four years alone, California has had to cut more than $56 billion from education, police and fire protection, healthcare, and other critical state and local services,

Whereas, these funding cuts have forced teacher layoffs, increased school class sizes, increased college fees, reduced police protection, increased fire response times, exacerbated dangerous overcrowding in prisons, and substantially reduced oversight of parolees,

Whereas, these cuts in critical services hurt California’s seniors, middle-class working families, children, college students and small businesses the most,

Whereas, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 will make California’s tax system more fair,

Whereas, the new taxes in this measure are temporary,

Whereas, to ensure these funds go where the voters intend, they are put in special accounts that the Legislature cannot touch,

Whereas, it is only right to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share,

Whereas, after years of cuts and difficult choices, it is necessary to turn the state around, raising new tax revenue would be an investment in our future that will put California back on track for growth and success,

Whereas, the Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 raises the income tax on those at the highest end of the income scale - those who can most afford it,

Whereas, it can also temporarily restore some sales taxes in effect last year, while keeping the overall sales tax rate lower than it was in early 2012,

Whereas, the new tax revenues guaranteed in the California Constitution go directly to local school districts and community colleges,

Whereas, these funds will be subject to an independent audit every year to ensure that they are spent only for schools and public safety,

Whereas, the chief purpose of this measure is to protect schools and local public safety by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes,

Whereas, this measure builds on a broader state budget plan that has made million of dollars in permanent cuts to state spending,

Whereas, the measure guarantees solid, reliable funding for schools, community colleges, and public safety while helping balance the budget and preventing further devastating cuts to services to seniors, middle-class working families, children, and small businesses,

Whereas, this measure gives constitutional perfection to the shift of local public safety programs from state to local control and the shift of state revenues to local government to pay for these programs,

Whereas, this measure guarantees that the new revenues it raises will be sent directly to school districts for classroom expenses, not administrative costs,

Whereas, this school funding cannot be suspended or withheld no matter what happens with the state budgets,

Whereas, Proposition 30 in its entirety can be accessed through http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/vig-public-display/110612-general-election/prop-30/prop-30-text.pdf,

Whereas, in 2012-13, Proposition 30 is expected to raise between $6.8 billion (according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office) and $9 billion (according to the Department of Finance),

Whereas, between 2013 and 2018, annual revenue is expected to average $5.4 billion (LAO) to $7.6 billion (DOF),

Whereas, if Proposition 30 fails, the University of California is scheduled to receive a budget reduction of $250 million this year and an additional $125 million next year,

Whereas, over the last four years, state funding for the University of California has dropped by nearly $900 million, about 27 percent, resulting in sharp tuition increases, staff layoffs, faculty hiring freezes, academic program cuts, and other reductions,

Whereas, the University of California Student Association and the California Board of Regents have officially endorsed California Proposition 30,

Whereas, the mission of the Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine is to be a representative student government that strives to improve the quality of student life by:
1) Empowering the students with the knowledge & resources to be agents of their own University
2)  Standing in solidarity with the students’ best interests
3) Advocating to protect the students’ needs
4) Strengthening and amplifying the students’ voices
5)  Providing an accessible outlet for a diverse student body to communicate their needs
6) Protecting the affordability, accessibility and diversity of our University
7) Working to align administration interest with the students concerns
8) Boosting UC Irvine pride with opportunities for meaningful connections

Whereas, the Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine cannot lobby for or against any ballot measure,

Whereas, the Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine can, however, share factual information about a ballot measure’s impact on the university,

Let it be resolved, that the Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine will provide avenues and resources to educate students about the impact of Proposition 30 on the university.