From:   ROBERTSON_PIEDAD  Sent:   Wed 2/12/2003 9:15 AM
 To:   DISTRICT

Subject:   Budget Update

Feb. 12, 2003

Dear College Community,

This is the second in a series of weekly budget updates that I indicated I would distribute to the campus community. In this message, I want to address what we can do as individuals and as a college community to make our voices heard in Sacramento.

First, a quick recap: the state Legislature and Gov. Gray Davis have hit a stalemate over the budget. The Legislature had passed a budget bill that significantly reduced the amount of mid-year cuts Davis was seeking for community colleges, but Davis has said he would veto the bill. The stalemate continues.

As you know, we are working at SMC to implement $5 million in mid-year cuts. Several steps have already been taken (including a 7.5 percent reduction in spring semester class offerings). We have also had to let go of temporary classified employees, as well as 16 part-time counselors, effective this week (the end of the winter session). But we still have other cost-cutting decisions to make and discussions continue on the best way to get SMC through the current crisis.

At the SMC Board of Trustees meeting Monday night, trustees and many employees made it clear that we need to be united as a college community to make our voices heard in Sacramento.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can help: 1)      The Community College League of California has set up an easy-to-use online letter-writer to help you contact your legislators. With a few clicks, you can send a pre-written letter to your Assembly and Senate representatives. As the CCLC has pointed out, legislators are receiving thousands of contacts each week on budget issues, and community college contacts are a very small minority of what is being received. Go to: http://www.ccleague.org/actnow.

2)      The SMC Faculty Association is joining a statewide “Community College March on Sacramento” March 17. For more information, contact Lantz Simpson, president of the SMC Faculty Association.

3)      A community college demonstration/march is being planned for March 28 in downtown Los Angeles. For more information, contact Mary-John Hart in the Women’s Center, vice president of the SMC Classified Senate.

4)      If you want to email Gov. Davis directly, he can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . To get information on contacting legislators, go to: http://www.sen.ca.gov and http://www.assembly.ca.gov.
I know that the Associated Students has begun discussions on organizing a lobbying effort, as well. As information becomes available on such efforts by our various campus organizations, we will forward that to you.
In addition, I would like to repeat that questions and comments can be directed to Bruce Smith, public information officer. He is in the process of setting up a system whereby suggestions can be shared with the campus community. We are also in the process of developing a Q-&-A information sheet that we hope will be helpful in all our efforts. The first of these will be sent soon. Please stay tuned.

Finally, I want to share with you an email written by a classified employee who works in Station C, that she sent to Gov. Davis last week. This is the kind of heartfelt and “grassroots” letter that politicians respond to. My thanks to Marie and all members of the college community who are contributing to the fight to preserve the quality of education for our students.

Piedad Robertson
Superintendent/President

Dear Governor Davis:
I have been a classified employee at Santa Monica College working in student services for the past 6 years. As you might or might not know, our front-line interaction with students is vital, as are all other services offered our students on campus.  Quality teachers and professors are so desperately needed for the accomplishment of our students' educational goals and the success of their future; the threat of having to cut yet more classes than already done (approx. 250 course sections for the Spring semester here at SMC) is already devastating. As you know, community colleges are the stepping stone to higher education, and the rate of transfer from our institution is high.
AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, YOU VISITED OUR CAMPUS 4 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE CAMPAIGNING FOR GOVERNOR. I recall seeing you right in front of our office where you were interviewed by our students. I bet at the time you made them wonderful promises about making education your number one priority...whatever happened to that promise??? You know very well that cutting funds in areas such education can only have disastrous consequences. California has a very large population to educate, especially with such a vast influx of people who REALLY need to be educated in order to be an asset to the work force rather than a liability which drains our already over-abused system and services.
The prospect of yet more cuts for the year 2003-2004 ($530 million) is even more appalling....
I am candidly asking you to please consider the above when making decisions which are going to have such enormous repercussions and disastrous consequences for California. We all understand that our economy is under great strain and the perspective of a possible war is weighing heavy on all of us but if someone such as yourself in a position of power can make a difference, than I invite you to prove to the people of California who voted for you that it was well worth re-electing you.

Sincerely,
Santa Monica College/Station C