From:    ROBERTSON_PIEDAD  Sent:   Thu 2/27/2003 8:54 AM
 To:   DISTRICT

 Subject:   Budget Update

Feb. 27, 2003

Dear College Community,
This is the fourth in a series of weekly budget updates. First, a quick update from Sacramento: Community colleges were told this week that an additional $38 million is being cut from their budgets, even before the state Legislature agrees on midyear cuts. The additional cuts result from lower property tax collections, which Gov. Gray Davis announced won’t be replaced by the state. In contrast, the state is fully funding the promised revenue to K-12 school districts.

Meanwhile, the State Senate is holding firm on its position to reduce community college cuts this fiscal year from Gov. Gray Davis’ proposed $288 million to $175 million. The State Assembly is scheduled to meet today on the issue. We’ll keep you posted. Here at SMC, the Budget Committee is scheduled to meet Friday morning.

On a brighter note, a campuswide budget advocacy and education effort is underway, and you can be involved.
On Monday, representatives of virtually every constituency group on campus – students, faculty, staff, managers and administrators – met unofficially as the SMC Budget Advocacy & Education Committee.

The committee’s goal is to coordinate various legislative advocacy and media efforts. Its focus so far has been in three areas: The statewide community college “March in March” event scheduled for March 17 in Sacramento; the March 28 rally of Los Angeles area community colleges scheduled for downtown Los Angeles; and the effort to collect student stories/testimonials to demonstrate to legislators and the public the devastating effects of budget cuts on our students.

“March in March”
The SMC Associated Students is planning to charter buses to take SMC students and employees to Sacramento to join a statewide rally on behalf of community colleges. Buses will leave Sunday evening, March 16, and return Monday evening, March 17. Classified employees and managers who wish to attend will have to get permission from their supervisors to take a vacation day. Faculty members are advised to consult with their department chairs, who in turn can contact Human Resources with questions. For more information, please contact Dean of Student Life Pat Brown at ext. 4308 or Lantz Simpson of the Faculty Association at ext. 4115.
March 28 Rally in Downtown Los Angeles
I will be joining SMC students, faculty and staff in this regional rally, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 28 at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. Details will be forthcoming. This effort is being spearheaded by the Associated Students with support from other campus organizations. For more information, please contact Dean of Student Life Pat Brown at ext. 4308 or Mary-John Hart of the Classified Senate at ext. 4587.

Student Stories/Testimonials
Counselor Veronica Castillo is coordinating an effort to collect handwritten, personal stories from students on how the budget cuts affect their education and lives. A campuswide email has gone out soliciting these stories, on a voluntary basis, through faculty (and, to a lesser extent, staff and administrators). These stories will put a human face on the devastating effects of the proposed budget cuts.

Meanwhile, the Associated Students has put together an outstanding link to its main web page outlining the budget issue and providing information on the various advocacy efforts it is undertaking. The page also provides useful links for legislative contacts and to RSVP for either the March 17 or March 28 rallies. Go to: http://www.smc.edu/associated_students/m_advocates.htm.

The Associated Students is also conducting a postcard writing campaign. Other groups on campus are undertaking similar efforts.
If you wish, as an individual, to contact legislators or Gov. Gray Davis, there are several websites that are helpful. Contact by email is the easiest method, but letters and telephone calls are often more effective.

The websites are:
• For Gov. Davis: http://www.governor.ca.gov.
• For the State Assembly: http://www.assembly.ca.gov.
• For the State Senate: http://www.sen.ca.gov.
• For an easy-to-use online letter-writer to contact your specific legislators: http://www.ccleague.org/actnow.

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact Bruce Smith, public information officer, at ext. 4209.
Piedad Robertson
Superintendent/President