Leaders from the three higher education systems in the state are, however, particularly unhappy by the cuts, holding that current trends demand a growth rather than a cut in higher education. Importantly from the government's point-of-view, all funding recipients across the country have faced a reduction in grants from the government. In the current economic climate, it is simply not possible to provide all industries and funding recipients with the funding they were hoping for. Education, however, is an issues of extreme importance for students and family alike, as demonstrated by the thousands who protested against yet further funding cuts and tuition increases across the Californian state (McKinley, 2010).

According to McKinley (2010), the protest was referred to as a "strike and day of action to defend public education. It culminated in the arrest of more than 150 people after they stopped traffic and blocked entrances to roads and learning institutions. Protesting students made the point that they could hardly be expected to "save the future" if they were denied access to quality education. Increasing tuition fees and cuts in classes and courses simply could not constitute a good education. Students in Santa Cruz protested by blocking access to the city's University of California campus, intimidating visitors and breaking public property such as windshields.

Teachers from cities such as Richmond also protested against the escalating number of students per class, which causes not only difficulty in the learning and teaching process itself, but also in helping students handle problems that impact their learning. Although many vowed to continue protesting until their point has been made, there are also those who did not see a large amount of effect as a reward for their efforts.

Whether people protest or not, authors such as Brand (2010) continue to wonder whether the public university system in the state will ever recover from the numerous cuts it has fallen victim to. After the latest 2010 rebudgeting issues, it appears that the question is no longer whether the University will recover within the space of ten years. The question is now whether the public education in California will ever be the same again. There seems to have been many changes, where the public could expect an increase in fees but a decrease in service excellence. This has been the effect and the nature of the cuts over the last years. One can hardly blame those who protest against it.

The fact remains that education is one of the most important privileges of the modern world. Indeed, one might refer to it as a right rather than a privelege, as it creates prospects for a better job and a better future for everybody. For this reason, one might argue that the state should not make cuts to education budgets at all, and that the money to fund it should be found from cutting other, less crucial budgets.

Those make those arguments could have a point. Surely tax dollars used to fight a war that nobody believes in could be better applied to the future of the nation's young. Also, many of these tax dollars have been invested in increasign security measures at locations such as airports. These also have culminated in increased inconvenience for travelers.

It seems that all the government does with the public's tax dollars is create new ways to make life more difficult...

It appears that the government's spending habits lack the necessary priorities to ensure not only the future of individuals, but the future of the country as well.
As pointed out above, education means that the individual can look forward to a future of gainful employment and a contribution to the nation's domestic product. This can, however, not be realized if the education system is crippled by budget cuts. What this means is that far fewer people will be educated up to the tertiary level. The country will have fewer educated young people to ensure the future of the United States and indeed the earth, and there will be much less productivity in the country, as fewer people will be able to obtain employment.

In this way, cutting the education budget creates a large amoung of related problems, including a higher unemployment and crime rate because of the lack of opportunities for both education and employment. I am not entirely sure that the budget officials took this into account when yet further cuts were proposed for the State of California. It is little wonder that students and teachers alike are protesting.

From the government's point-of-view, however, one might acknowledge that very little can be done when funding simply is not available. Surely great thought must have been given to spending cuts and how to create a reasonable budget for each state across the country. I am no certain, however, that the officials in question provided a sufficienlty reasonable rationale for the cuts or for the rise in tuition fees.

One student noted that he was not only worried about his own future, but also about the whole education system itself (Brand, 2010). The more cuts are made, the more chaos seems to result. I find it rather baffling that government officials do not seem to notice or care. In any business, logic suggests that higher fees would also mean better service. This does not seem to be the case in education.

In conclusion, the government exists to provide its people with the best service possible and with the means towards creating the best possible living for themselves and their families. Public education is a vital part of this aim. The numerous budget cuts and increasing tuition fees are not conducive to an excellent education system. Indeed, the manifestations of these have not only made it more difficult for students to enter college, but also for those who are already in college to get the education they need. The education system is in crisis, and the government should, at the very least, address the public regarding the petinent issues and changes they face. Instead of hiding its inadequacy behind a mask of what can and cannot be helped, the government should instead search for solutions to problems that could affect the whole country and its future.

References

Brand, M. (2010, Jan 27). California budget woes hurt university system. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123035049

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Chea, T. (2009, Aug 5). Will budget cuts cripple California colleges? USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-08-05-california-colleges_N.htm

Hemmila, d. (2011, Jan 10). Proposed budget cuts S$1.4B from higher education. University of California. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/17/local/me-cuts17

Martinez, K. (2000, Jun. 5). Public education devastated by Califronia budget cuts. Retreived from: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jun2009/cali-j05.shtml

McKinleu (2010, Mar 4.). California Students Protest Education Cuts. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/education/05protests.html?_r=1

Paddock, R.C. (2008, Apr. 17). Hardship predicted for students. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/17/local/me-cuts17