Unsung heroes of education

Re “A bad funding fix,” editorial, Jan. 7

If Proposition 92’s funding for community colleges were to be approved by voters, according to this editorial, it “would lock the state into spending hundreds of millions of additional dollars that it doesn’t have. Lawmakers would have no choice but to rob other higher education programs to meet the new spending commitment.”

Although I agree that this sort of ballot-box budgeting is not good, it is the way that voters can send the message to our legislators that another choice would be to raise taxes to pay for education and infrastructure that we need if we are to have the civilization that we thought we had.

Laura Buck Dennison

Claremont

The Times’ editorial opposing Proposition 92 has my head spinning. After you admit that community colleges need more money, that they are the workhorses of California’s education system and that they need help, you tell voters to vote no.

Proposition 98 established a state funding system for grades K-14. In Proposition 98, grades 13 and 14 are, in fact, our two-year community colleges. Those colleges are part of the state’s higher education system and should not be lumped in for funding with K-12.

The four-year higher education institutions -- California State University and the University of California systems -- are powerful. Political pundits refer to community colleges as the unsung heroes and underfunded segment of higher education in California. Although respected by their communities throughout the state, they are under the radar of Sacramento, wealthy benefactors and special interest groups.

Proposition 92 is carefully written to simply level the education playing field for California’s community colleges.

Leonard Lahtinen

Anaheim

The writer is a trustee of the North Orange County Community College District.