Tacoma Community College Budget Meeting

Tacoma Community College will hold an open meeting next week to discuss the looming budget cuts. Students, teachers, staff and administrators are strongly encouraged to attend. It is imperative we each make this issue a personal priority!

Information is as follows:

Tacoma Community College
Building 27, College Room
December 3rd (Wednesday)
2:30 p.m.

For more information or downloadable leaflets/fliers:

Email
tacomasocialists@gmail.com
stopthecutswashington@yahoo.com

Phone
253-777-6117

First Organizing Meeting

The first organizing meeting for the Stop The Cuts campaign will be taking place on December 5th. We will be meeting to discuss launching a cooperative campaign against the proposed cuts, the situation as it currently stands and the possible far-reaching ramifications if the proposed cuts were to be approved.

All are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion!


Details are as follows:

Tacoma Community College
Building 11
Student Senate Room
December 5th, 2008
12:30 p.m.

Feel free to invite friends, family or the media!

Have questions or comments?
Requests for downloadable fliers or leaflets?
Send them to:

tacomasocialists@gmail.com
stopthecutswashington@yahoo.com


For those in Olympia, the first meeting of the Evergreen Committee for Full Funding will be Wednesday the 10th of December in SEM 2 A1105 from 4 to 6 PM. All are encouraged and welcome to come!

State Proposes Massive Cuts For Education!

Build a campaign to stop the cuts!

With the strain of a recession bearing down upon students and workers alike, Washington state has recently declared that it will cut up to 20 percent of the budget for higher education. Over $600 million will be slashed from the budget, including $300 million from community colleges.
This means massive layoffs for teachers and college workers, higher tuition and book prices, reduced student services and choice of classes, and more restrictive entry requirements for both community and four-year colleges.

Not enough money?

While federal and local officials claim that these cutbacks are the result of a state budget shortfall, they have no trouble finding billions of dollars for the disastrous occupation of Iraq or the corporate bailout of Wall Street. The proposed cut of $600 million is equal to 20% of our state higher education budget, but equals only 0.09% of the recent bailout for Wall Street.

These cuts cannot stand. We need to organize a campaign with the following demands:

-Stop the budget cuts
-No layoffs
-No cuts to classes or services
-No increase in tuition
-No to more restrictions on admission requirements
-Hands off open enrollment for community colleges
-No attacks on wages, benefits or working conditions for employees
-Yes to a free, fully funded and democratically run higher education system for

all!

How can we fight back?

If students, teachers, and staff are firmly united, organized, and are mobilizing to win public support, these cuts can be defeated. That’s why it’s important we absolutely reject the argument “there isn’t enough money”. The second we accept this logic, the politicians will begin dividing students against faculty, faculty against administrators, and staff against teachers… for crumbs. United we win, divided we beg.

We demand that our federal government fully fund quality education. Any state budget shortfall should be made up through taxes on the wealthy and big corporations, not cuts in our education. We can’t afford cuts, but the rich can afford to pay more taxes.
Join us in building a campaign to mobilize enormous pressure on the politicians in Olympia. A successful campaign must rely on our power in numbers, not on the good will of politicians or administrators. Ultimately, defeating these cuts will require the massive united action of students, staff, and teachers, with demonstrations, rallies, walkouts and strikes.

Get Involved:
TCC Socialist Alternative Club
tacomasocialists@gmail.com
stopthecutswashington@yahoo.com