The Master Plan created the three-tiered system for public higher education. It formed the California Community Colleges system, a network of 110 campuses, where any individual over the age of 18 and a desire to learn could go to obtain an Associate’s degree, a certificate or prepare to transfer to a 4-year institution.

It formed the California State University system, a web of 23 campuses, where any individuals who met certain qualifications could pursue a Bachelor’s, Master’s and selected Doctoral degrees.  Many of California’s teachers, nurses and engineers got their start at a state university.

Lastly, it established the University of California, a research hub of 10 campuses, where any individuals who met certain qualifications could pursue degrees on par with those offered at the State University in addition to study law, dentistry and medicine. Moreover, it was the de facto research arm of the state, discovering and creating new knowledge.

Together, the three systems form the pipeline of California’s future entrepreneurs, teachers, public servants, doctors and leaders.  With the power of one belief, to the power of 3 systems, to the power of 143 campuses, to the power of millions of students, there lies a promise to the future of California and the world.

Since then, the Master Plan and the belief it was based on has been under assault.

This assault began in 1978, when a majority of voters fundamentally, and unknowingly, changed our society from majority democracy to minority tyranny. Proposition 13 amended the state constitution to require two-thirds of the legislature to approve budgets or raise taxes, instead of a democratic majority.

In 1978, an individual had to pay $0 to attend community college, $212 to attend a California State University and $720 to attend a University of California. Thirty years later, in 2009, an individual has to pay $600 to attend community college, $3,797 to attend a California State University and $8,020 to attend a University of California.

Five years after Proposition 13 passed, in 1983, the belief in a free public higher education died when students had to pay $100 to attend community college.

Our representative government is controlled by a minority tyranny because of Proposition 13 and has maintained a public policy of imposing fees on individuals who seek higher education and knowledge.

For all allowance, for all the financial aid, for all the scholarships, for all the jobs, that a student can get, receive, obtain and work, this very poisonous notion that it cost to access a higher education is detrimental at the least and damning at the most.

It is this very poisonous notion that leads individuals, families and communities to perceive that they cannot afford college; that they will not be able to pursue higher education; that education is not and isn’t supposed to be free and that the knowledge obtained through such education is limited only to those who can pay.

What bothers me most about this very poisonous notion is not the immediate cost it had on me and my family, but the affect it has to limit our communities’ ability to experience a world of new knowledge.

When people cannot obtain higher education, they cannot readily formulate new scientific theories, express new thoughts about culture and society, find new cures to cancers and diseases, envision new ways of harnessing the power of the sun, earth and water, implement new ways to perform life saving medical procedures, discover new life forms in the depths of our oceans and beyond the galaxies we can see, and produce a foundation of knowledge for the next generation to build upon.

Our generation understands this; that is why we are fighting, with tooth and nail and sweat and blood.

We must continue to do whatever it takes to wipe away this very poisonous notion and restore belief in a free public higher education. This must eventually be achieved by restoring majority democracy and enacting public policy that invests in higher education. It is only by doing so that the next generation will have the means to access a world of new knowledge left undiscovered by our generation, not by our own choice, but by the choice of those before us.

Student Juan Carmen, 20, from Los Angeles, said he wasn’t surprised about the fee increase, mainly because of the state’s budget crisis. “I’m just glad it wasn’t like 10 percent or more,” Carmen said. “It’s still an increase, but it’s not like a major one.”

7.4% is a major increase! $490 is 50+ hours of work. Such fee increases places an additional burden on a students who have to pay for their education, housing and other living expenses.

We cannot continue to believe that moderation is the best approach to the issue of student fee increases.

The time has come where we have to be hard line, always. This continued march to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from 200,000 or so students over the past decade must end.

After the summer, I will be a UC graduate. This means, among other things, that I will no longer have the health care provided by the UC.I am willing to step up and pay more taxes to ensure not only myself, but also my fellow human being, has health care.Yesterday, I returned home from the dentist and spoke with my parents about some work I need done and my mom asked, “How much is it going to cost?” My parents are running a small business and thus greatly concerned about costs.I replied, “Why should it matter how much it costs to ensure that my teeth are healthy?”With universal health care I will obtain the freedom to focus on the greater problems of society.However, it should be expected from individuals to appreciate the collective sacrifice we are making to ensure that we can individually succeed.Ultimately, by allowing me to obtain the care I need today for the minor problem, like a cracked tooth filling, I will not have the major problem of a cavity tomorrow

In mid-2006, the Public Policy Institute of California published a report called “California 2025: Taking on the Future.” The 300+ page report is filled with information every Californian needs to know.

There is growing concern that rapid population growth and repeated budget shortfalls have brought California to a state of disrepair that could soon become a state of emergency. With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, PPIC undertook a study to see whether the state is facing a growth and infrastructure crisis, how big the problems are, and how to think about planning for the future. This report presents the findings of that study. It concludes that we haven’t reached a crisis—yet—but some trends and forces make it imperative to begin systematic, well-informed planning. Otherwise, the future California gets by default may not be the future residents want for themselves and their children.

I encourage you to download the full report or research brief and read it.

I read most of the report, but I lost my hard copy on a flight from Boston to San Francisco.

I write to wish happiness, peace and prosperity in 2007 and I hope that you accomplish whatever goals you set out to accomplish this year.

Let me know what your goals are for 2007.

Sincerely,
Josh Franco

Unlike Spring Break, which is a period of time nestled in between the semester, Winter Break is preceded by the end of a semester and followed by the start of not only a new semester, but a new year as well.

I just recently finished reading Living, Leading and the American Dream by John W. Gardner. Mr. Gardner worked as the Secretary of the Department of Housing, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout Gardner’s life, he has proven to have an acute understanding of the human mind and human spirit.

His book, Living, Leading and the American Dream, is more than an excellent read! It is an inspiring book about how live, how to lead, and how to fulfill the American Dream. The book is segmented into five parts.

My favorite part is titled “The Release of Human Possibilities.� This part includes chapters on Commitment and Meaning, Motivation and the Triumphant Expression of Talent, The Full Expression of Human Excellence and Our Moral and Spiritual Lineage.

There is one passage that I found most insightful on page 91:

“If our leaders at all levels are to be capable of lifting us and moving us toward excellence, they are going to have to believe in the people of this nation – a people able to perform splendidly and inclined to perform indifferently, a people deeply troubled in their efforts to find a future worthy of their past, a people capable of greatness and desperately in need of encouragement to achieve that greatness.”

I will carry this quotation with me for the rest of my life.

This week is the last week of the fall 2006 semester at UC Merced. To alleviate some of the pressure experienced during finals week, I have been cooking, listening to music, volunteering a few hours of time at the local homeless shelter, reading news article, browsing through some books (unrelated to school work) and pondering the future.

My interest in government, governing and governance, policy-making, decision-making, and political action has increased greatly over the past year.

I find myself attending meetings at all levels: informal discussions with my peers, meetings of grassroots organizations, student/local/regional/state government-sponsored meetings, public committees, online discussions, and occasionally watching C-SPAN for some national and international flavor.

What is most interesting is how people interact with each, how they reach consensus (or don’t), and how ideas are turned into action.

One general observation I have is that in order for an idea to result in action requires follow through. Unfortunately, it is difficult for the citizen X to participate in the follow through because the call to action rarely involves individuals and rather it is focused on the already existing institutions.

A public comment is not enough to satisfy the desires of the people to make a difference in this world. Citizen X wants to know how they can make a further difference.

I tried to take a nap before running at 3:00am this morning, but I was either too excited or not tired.

At around 2:45am, I drove to the college from the university and parked ASAP. I got onto the track just a minute or two before 3:00am.

I ran for the first 3 miles and then I walked for the remainder of the hour. Running around the track, I noticed illuminated paper bags with “In honor of…� or “In memory of…� and a person’s name following the phrase.

I decided to run for my friend’s mother who passed away from cancer a couple of years ago. Running around the track reminded me not just of the battle people face, like my friend’s mother, but the battle society faces in battling cancer.

The word “HOPE� was glowing bright from the home side of the stadium. Hope we will for a better future and a future without cancer.

I am inspired each time I hear her speak. It is great that she had the opportunity to share her vast knowledge of the Central Valley with us.

We watched the Valley Futures Project – San Joaquin Valley Overview and I think it had a dramatic affect on us. The ability for the VFP to make people think is incredible and it sparked a lively question and answer session.

A major point Carol made was the difference between what is possible versus what is probable. Anything is possible, but is it likely to happen?

How do we go from possible to probable? I asked. I have summarized her reply below.

• Visionary, charismatic leader needed
• Call on the best of people
• Rediscover sense of greater good
• Articulate need to sacrifice for nobler purpose
• Be trustworthy
• Be clear, articulate why action must be taken, what difference such action will make, length of time of individual commitment and action, and be fair and consistent

Enacting change is difficult because to challenge the status quo is a task that few endeavor to do.

The book is divided into six chapters: The Roles of Congress, The Impact of Congress, How Congress Works, Public Criticisms of Congress, Key Ways Congress Could Work Better and Civic Participation.

In Chapter 1, Hamilton describes three “key powers� of Congress: passing basic laws of the land, controlling the purse, and shaping foreign policy.

Regarding the third power, Hamilton writes “I was disappointed in every administration’s consultation with Congress on major foreign policy issues. Often the administration contacted just a few selected legislators, failed to consult on a regular, sustained basis, and frequently approached Congress after a decision had been made rather than seeking genuine input.� The failed Dubai Port deal reflects a lack of consultation on behalf of the President with Congress. Without thorough consultation on such close-to-home foreign policy matters, the President risks alienating party members and allies in the legislative branch, suffering a domestic backlash from members and their constituents and failing to see a proposal go through. It would be prudent for the President in the future to consult Congress before making such deals public. As Hamilton mentions, “genuine input� is critical.

Throughout the entire book, and in particular chapter 2 through 4, I like how Hamilton describes the impact of congress, how the institution works and the criticisms it regularly receives. Chapter 4 is of particular interest to me. Hamilton writes about the public’s trust of politicians that “it’s crucial for members of the public to listen very carefully and ask hard follow-up questions if they find too much wiggle room in an answer.� Next time I communicate with a legislator and I see wiggle room, I will ask another question.

Chapters 5 and 6 are thought-provoking because Hamilton writes about the “Key Ways Congress Could Work Better� and the importance of “Civic Participation.� In chapter 5, he lists a series of questions that legislators should be asking:

“What will be the size and composition of the American population in then, twenty, forty years? What are the biggest projected demographic shifts, and what impact will they have? What are the consequences of the growing number of unemployable youth in our increasingly technological society, as well as the growing number of the oldest members in our society and their increased need of services? What can we do to ensure we have adequate food, energy, and water supplies well into the future? What can be done to reduce the threat of both new and reemerging diseases? Will there be major consequences from the growing economic inequality within the nation, as well as between the United States and other nations? What fundamental challenges will we face to maintaining our economy that is both prosperous and free, and what might be new future threats to our national security? What changes will be needed to ease our government into the twenty-first century?�

Congress should do more strategic thinking and long-term planning. The institution cannot get lost in the heat of the moment for if it does, then we are severely being short-changed a better future.

Chapter 6 is my favorite because Hamilton offers some encouraging words for readers like me to get involved. The following statement struck me: “Most Americans simply do not recognize the power they have to make a difference.� And this must change.