Please join me, if your schedule allows, in going to this important talk below. It involves all of us: those of us paying higher tuition, and who now have trouble paying for school, and faculty who, because of budget cuts, lose their jobs.
In today’s, January 7, 2010 New York Times, Governor Arnold Schwarznegger’s chief of staff, Susan Kennedy said, “Those protests on the UC campuses the tipping point. Our university system is going to get the support it deserves.” Kennedy made these comments immediately after Republican Governor, Schwarznegger proposed cutting money for California prisons and putting the money saved into higher ed. Right now, 11% of the California budget goes to prisons, and 7.5% goes to higher ed. He proposed that at least 10% of the state budget go to California universities and colleges, and no more than 7% be used for prisons. This shows the value of militant protest and a growing student movement with faculty and staff and community support to stop and reverse the budget cuts. Let us in Washington State learn from our brothers and sisters in California.
Come here two leading activists in this movement, Wed., January 13th!
OCCUPY EVERYTHING!
Fighting Austerity on California Campuses
Wednesday January 13, 2010
The Evergreen State College, Seminar II, E1105
10:00am Presentation to Political Economy and Social Movements; Race, Class and Gender(all are welcome)
1:30pm Public Presentation-Sem 2, E1105
California is the tenth largest economy in the world and one of the states hardest hit by the current financial crisis. Although the effects of the crisis continue to be felt in real terms by those living in the state, there has been little to no resistance against the financial system responsible for the crisis and the concurrent austerity regime that is decimating social programs including public education.
The public universities of California have emerged as a possible front for confronting the restructuring that has arrived with the crisis. Faced with a 32% student fee increase, thousands of layoffs and pay cuts, students and workers have begun to organize on a mass scale to fight back. Amongst the repertoire of tactics, occupying buildings has shown to be one of the most effective, providing a fresh praxis for a new and contagious movement that has quickly spread across the state.
Come hear stories from this important struggle and watch video from some of the pivotal moments during the last months of 2009. We will focus on lessons learned and future strategies as well as provide space for discussion of possible connections with local organizing efforts connected with budget cuts and tuition increases at TESC.
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