Rally March 2nd "Day of Action: Defend Public Education & Health and Human Services

by repost Wednesday, Mar. 02, 2011 at 4:51 PM

Rally March 2nd "Day of Action: Defend Public Education & Health and Human Services and Push The CA Dream Act"

Event Description: March 2nd--

I. 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

*Campuses Actions--University of California. Riverside, Riverside Community College, and San Bernardino Valley College

II. 3:00-5:00 p.m.

*Rally in Downtown Riverside (Front Culver Arts Center: Main/Market Street)
3834 Main Street Riverside, CA 92507.

There will be Speakers, Political Theater, Music, Poetry Reading, and Testimonies pertaining to the Budget Cuts and Political Empowerment

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Dr. Ed Gomez, SB Valley College former UC Student Regent 2) Leticia Garcia, Fontana Unified School District Board Member 3) Bill Hedrick 4) Jesus Barrios, CSUSB Student/Student for Equal Access to Education President 5) Ricky Santoyo, Social Worker @ Pomona Bienestar Youth Center 6) Catherina Almanza SB Valley College Student 7) Maximo Antonio Amaya, RCC Student

Sponsored by: Social Justice Alliance @ UCR, Stop the Budget Cuts @ RCC,San Bernardino Valley MECHA, Students for Equal Access to Education @ CSUSB, Mt. Sac I.D.E.A.S., Inland Action, LULAC of Riverside, Latinos Unidos de Colton, Hispanos Unidos, Inland Empire Dream Team, Inland Empire of LULAC, California Partnership, Courage Campaign, "Other 98%", Mobilize Immigrant Vote and other Inland Empire & Desert community organizations.

What: Inland Empire: Student, Community Members, and Elected Officials meet in support of Public Education & Protecting Health & Human Services

More Information:
Local Actions:
A. RCC: Rally MLK Bldg at 12:30 p.m.
B. UCR: Rally at Belltower 11:00 a.m.
C. SB Valley College: Rally Free Speech Area 12:00 p.m.
D. Mass Rally--Convergece: Downtown Riverside

Where: Front of Culver Arts Center
3834 Main Street Riverside, CA 92501
When: March 2nd 2:30-5:00 p.m.

Riverside, CA-On February 14th, President Obama sent his fiscal year 2012 federal budget proposal to Congress for consideration. President Obama is proposing to cut some student aid programs to maintain the maximum Pell Grant at $5,550 in 2011-12 as part of the FY2012 federal budget request. The 2012 federal budget proposal, eliminates year-round Pell Grants, and subsidized interest benefit on subsidized Stafford loans for graduate and professional students, while expanding the Perkins loan Program from $1 Billion a year to $8.5 billion a year starting in 2012-2013.

As there are current record budget deficits, it is unlikely Congress will increase student aid funding by much over the next decade and as states. Today Californian students not only less financial aid support but tuition hikes rising each year. Every year, students across the board are paying more and more for education and getting less.

Governor Jerry Brown faces a $25.5 billion budget gap. Governor Brown released his Budget Proposal, even though Governor Brown promised to protect K-12 Education and public safety, he has outlined deep cuts to higher education and core health and human service programs.

There is an estimated $1.5 Billion in Higher education budget cuts. The Community Colleges have been cut $400 million, e.g. Riverside Community College $8-10 million and San Bernardino Valley College/Crafton $ 4.7 Million in cuts. Both California State Universities and University of California Campuses have suffered $1 Billion in cuts. As for CSU/UC Campuses: CSUSB $18-20 Million and Cal Poly Pomona $25 Million and UC Riverside $35-40 million in cuts.

As a result of past year budget cuts, a National Day of Action to Defend Public Education was decided at a Statewide Conference that invited students, faculty, staff and community members. This year the next day of action is on March 2nd and the Statewide Conference is on March 12th at UC Berkeley.

On March 4th 2010, there was a nationwide action in which students all across the United States participated. Budget cuts degrade the quality of education by decreasing student services and increasing class size, while tuition hikes and layoffs force the cost of the recession onto students and teachers and off of the financial institutions that caused the recession in the first place. Last Year, March 4th Day of Action in Riverside, 1,000 students and community members rallied in both Riverside Community College and University of California campuses, Riverside and the convergent location in Downtown Riverside. For this year’s March 2nd “Day of Action”, we want to rally double the number of participation and action.

Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has even gone on the record to give credit to last year’s March 4th Day of Action in which attributed to $600 million back to higher education; therefore, students and community are deciding to continue fighting back.

Also as a result of the governor is seeking to hold a special election in June to ask voters to approve the tax extensions, which will provide about $10 billion in revenue for California student s will work on getting the youth vote out in this off year election. If the tax extensions do not pass, the schools will face additional reductions beyond the proposed $500 million. The Inland Empire March 2nd Coalition will support Governor Brown’s Revenue Solutions and encourage students to register other students to vote and go out and vote in June.

Similar events will be taking place all across the state in both Downtown and College Campuses. The Press Conference will be a preview what is to come for March 2nd in Downtown Riverside. For more information about these events, please contact Desiree Narvaez at 323 383-2750, e-mail: sjaucr@gmail.com or visit online at www.freeucr.org or california-partnership.org