Friday, January 16, 2009

Stop The Cuts Speaks!

Tacoma Community Colleges students Mike L., Joseph C. and Macy P. made it to the Capitol yesterday to testify in front of the Washington State House Education Appropriations Committee. The committee, which met on Wednesday, heard testimony from a number of Washington State colleges, including: University of Washington, Evergreen State College and Western Washington University. Representatives from the state's various educational institutions each spent their time allotment of roughly ten minutes detailing their strategies for handling the budget cuts and reassuring the legislators of their continued promise to deliver quality education at affordable prices despite the Governor's proposals. They also entertained questions from the committee, including one about the University of Washington Finnish studies program!

Unfortunately the committee had no such questions for the few speaking on behalf-and from-the perspective of Washington State's student body. Regardless the students spoke out against the proposed cuts, imploring the representatives to vote in accordance with the will of the majority and to not pass any budget containing cuts to higher education or social services. Additionally, they called on the committee to pressure Gov. Christine Gregiore to go to President-Elect Obama and request for a bail-out for teachers, students and workers, not Wall Street.


Posted below, and under our video section, is a link to the video of the students' testimony. The students begin speaking at about 1 hr 36 min 20 sec or 1:36:20.

http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009010077&TYPE=V&CFID=1798439&CFTOKEN=67586938&bhcp=1

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is awesome. Link this to facebook -- no quicker way to get the word out.

Stop The Cuts said...

Thank you so much, we're always appreciative of positive attention!