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The Los Angeles Times are reporting that the University of California’s Board of Regents has approved a series of measures that would increase undergraduate tuitions. The study body has disapproved of the Regent’s actions, but the Regents announced that the measures were necessary.
This is one of the consequences of the incompetence and the political gridlock that is dominating in the California’s state legislator. However, we cannot simply blame the current politicians in the state capitol.
California herself is also to be blamed. It would seem that Proposition 13 (1978) was a great idea at first, but such perspective is a common error of a man who only focuses on the short term gain. By restricting the ability to increase state revenue to cover state’s cost, various critical state services are forced with reduced resources during tough revenue times.
If the people of the “taxpayer revolt” attempted to look beyond the short term horizon, then they would be able to at least foresee some of the negative consequences of their actions. But no, sharing the same mentality as the volatile financial investors of this country, these people only cared about their short term gain.
I am not implying that I love high taxes. In fact, I believe taxes should be collected the used responsibly without excess in the most ideal situations. However, long-term perspective is more critical. What happened in California is a simple trade off of short term quick benefits for the long term inevitable negative consequences.
Let me ask you. Should the student gamble and cheat on his test for the short term benefit of getting a good grade or should he worry about the long term consequences (such as a moral hazard build up that would tempt him for another cheating) of his actions?
Unfortunately, many more students in public schools in California are more worried about financial aid than passing the grade.
