Comments on: The Higher Education Fiscal Crisis Protects the Wealthy http://dailycensored.com/2009/11/22/the-higher-education-fiscal-crisis-protects-the-wealthy/ Underreported political and social news from the U.S. and around the world Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:04:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: JFoster http://dailycensored.com/2009/11/22/the-higher-education-fiscal-crisis-protects-the-wealthy/comment-page-1/#comment-1165 JFoster Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:58:30 +0000 http://dailycensored.com/2009/11/22/the-higher-education-fiscal-crisis-protects-the-wealthy/#comment-1165 Peter Phillips keeps writing the same, tired, throw-away lines. But his arguments lack any facts, so saying them over and over will never make them right. Once again, here are some facts: The richest 1% of tax filers in CA pay nearly half of all taxes in the state, and the richest 15% pay over 80%. The reason why the rich have benefited from tax cuts is because they are ones who pay all the taxes already. State tax revenues have grown faster than inflation plus population growth in CA since 1990 but spending has grown even faster–the problem in CA is SPENDING, not taxes. California's tax code has gotten MORE progressive over the last 15 years, not less (in other words, the rich are paying an even higher share than before). State employees are a big reason for this out of control spending. CA has among the most expensive state government workers in the country. CA accounts for 9% of US state employees, but 12% of US state government pay! What’s more, CA taxpayers fund 55% of the budget for the CSU system (where Phillips works), versus an average funding level of 30% elsewhere in the US. The heavily unionized state education system has one of the highest per student spending rates in the US, and still gives us a quality of education for our children ranked 48th out of 50 states. In other words, the UC and CSU systems are already the most heavily subsidized education systems in the country. The cuts being enacted and the tuition increases being implemented are a reality given a slow economy exacerbated by California's pro-union spending increases and anti-business economic policies. Students are being asked to pay a little more of what is already a great bargain in education. If they don't like it, let them drop out. Taxpayers--rich and poor--are tired of paying the educational costs of ungrateful students spending their days getting high and running around protesting issues they do not understand. How can students be getting ripped off when they are paying 45 cents for every dollar of education received....with the rest picked up by the California taxpayer? Please, just drop out, every taxpayer in the state would be better off. Every taxpayer, that is, except Prof Phillips and his union colleagues. When the richest 15% pay 85% of the taxes, any tax cut is going to benefit them more in terms of dollars. In fact the state tax code has gotten MORE progressive over the same 15 years. So, as a proportion of taxes, and despite benefiting from tax cuts, the rich pay a greater SHARE today than they did 15 years ago. Peter Phillips keeps writing the same, tired, throw-away lines. But his arguments lack any facts, so saying them over and over will never make them right.

Once again, here are some facts: The richest 1% of tax filers in CA pay nearly half of all taxes in the state, and the richest 15% pay over 80%. The reason why the rich have benefited from tax cuts is because they are ones who pay all the taxes already. State tax revenues have grown faster than inflation plus population growth in CA since 1990 but spending has grown even faster–the problem in CA is SPENDING, not taxes. California’s tax code has gotten MORE progressive over the last 15 years, not less (in other words, the rich are paying an even higher share than before).

State employees are a big reason for this out of control spending. CA has among the most expensive state government workers in the country. CA accounts for 9% of US state employees, but 12% of US state government pay! What’s more, CA taxpayers fund 55% of the budget for the CSU system (where Phillips works), versus an average funding level of 30% elsewhere in the US. The heavily unionized state education system has one of the highest per student spending rates in the US, and still gives us a quality of education for our children ranked 48th out of 50 states.

In other words, the UC and CSU systems are already the most heavily subsidized education systems in the country. The cuts being enacted and the tuition increases being implemented are a reality given a slow economy exacerbated by California’s pro-union spending increases and anti-business economic policies. Students are being asked to pay a little more of what is already a great bargain in education. If they don’t like it, let them drop out. Taxpayers–rich and poor–are tired of paying the educational costs of ungrateful students spending their days getting high and running around protesting issues they do not understand. How can students be getting ripped off when they are paying 45 cents for every dollar of education received….with the rest picked up by the California taxpayer? Please, just drop out, every taxpayer in the state would be better off. Every taxpayer, that is, except Prof Phillips and his union colleagues.

When the richest 15% pay 85% of the taxes, any tax cut is going to benefit them more in terms of dollars. In fact the state tax code has gotten MORE progressive over the same 15 years. So, as a proportion of taxes, and despite benefiting from tax cuts, the rich pay a greater SHARE today than they did 15 years ago.

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