Chabot-Las Positas Community College District
Talking Points for Legislative Advocacy
Governor’s Proposed Budget
2003-2004
When corresponding with your legislators and the Governor regarding the
current proposed mid-year cuts and the Governor’s proposed 2003-04 budget these
key talking points may be used to assist you in drafting a clear, concise message
about the issues we are facing in regards to the pending budget actions.
The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District faces cuts of more than $13
million over the next 18 months based on the Governor’s proposed 2003-04 budget.
The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District will cut more than 500 classes
out of its schedules over the next 18 months.
The Chabot-Las Positas Community College District has educated East Bay residents
for more than 40 years. Thousands of alumni have left Chabot to pursue careers
in our State’s judicial system, entertainment, law enforcement, business and
many other fields. With the Governor’s budget, that may no longer be the case.
Students will be fortunate to find classes available to them. The support services
so vitally needed for their success will be scaled back and barriers placed
in their path.
The proposed 43% cuts to support services for disabled and economically disadvantaged
students will force program closures and in doing so, will slam the door shut
for those individuals to California’s workforce.
Four Bay Area community college districts: Chabot-Las Positas CCD, Foothill-De
Anza CCD, Contra Costa CCD, and San Francisco CCD will lose more than 41,000
students combined. That is more than the entire population of the City of Dublin.
Imagine telling every Dublin resident that they can never go to college.
The Governor’s Budget would shut the doors to higher education to more than
206,000 Californians, according to the Community College League of California.
-More students than served in the entire University of California system
-Three times as many Latino and African-American students than served on
all the UC campuses, combined.
While the Governor is calling on 500,000 new jobs, his budget proposal will
result in thousands of faculty and staff layoffs in California’s community colleges.
Over 80% of district spending supports faculty and staff salaries and benefits.
This level of cuts simply cannot be accommodated without massive layoffs. (Source:
Community College League of California)
