By Omar Niazi
and Lauren Pinnella
Education Overhaul: GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner wants California to put more emphasis on “middle-skill” jobs that require more than high school diplomas but less than a four-year college degree.
Cal State University students are not in agreement with republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner’s higher education plan, now available for review on his Web site.
“Fortunately, I don’t think anything can hurt California’s university system more than it already is,” said recent Cal State Sacramento graduate Fallan Groth.
As one measure to cut the budget deficit, Poizner intends to end in-state tuition for illegal immigrants at public universities.
“Illegal immigrants should not be given a taxpayer-funded subsidy in the form of in-state tuition at our public universities and colleges,” said Groth.
“I don’t understand how illegal immigrants are getting funding as residents when technically, they don’t live here. However, I do believe in giving people a better chance and getting a better education because that’s what every person deserves.”
Poizner believes that heavy emphasis should be placed on education for ’middle-skill jobs’ which he defines as “jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree.”
“We should really be moving our jobs in a more educated direction and I don’t think increasing vocational education will do that,” said San Francisco State junior Katie Marshall. “There are jobs that need a vocational education, but I’m not sure if that’s what our state should focus on.”
Poizner argues that 49 percent of all Californian jobs are middle-skill and more support should be given to them.
“Our schools should provide the training to support a new generation of workers,” said Groth. “This includes supporting both students who enroll in four-year institutions, as well as those who seek career/technical education in preparation for a specific line of work.
“I don’t think focusing more on vocational education will do anything for anybody since we should all be striving for more advanced education. Everybody should be well-rounded, and I think that’s what a university does.”
Poizner is also an out-spoken proponent of cutting taxes. According to his proposed budget plan, if elected governor, he would like to see a 10 percent reduction in personal tax rates, state sales tax and corporation taxes. The huge cutback would go to capital gains tax where he proposes a 50 percent reduction.
Taxes are the primary source of funding for California’s public school system, however, Poizner has said that he wants to “base higher education funding partly on performance.”
Poizner believes “Rewarding an institution for the number of students it graduates gives it a financial incentive to guide students toward graduation. Currently, colleges and universities have no substantial incentive to graduate students because fifth and sixth-year students continue to pay tuition and fees.”
“It’s been proven that performance isn’t everything,” said Marshall. “I think pressuring colleges to matriculate as many students are possible to receive more money makes students almost like a product.”
To offset his tax cuts, Poizner intends to tighten spending for higher education programs. “Public universities have expanded programs that are not high priorities for the state while restricting undergraduate enrollment. California must choose key goals and metrics on which to judge institutional performance. This will help provide the structure for an accountability system that will align higher education performance with state workforce needs.”
Since 2007 Poizner has served as California’s insurance commissioner. He has a twenty-year entrepreneurial background that includes the founding of several technology companies, including SnapTrack, a company responsible for putting GPS receivers in cell phones.
Poizner currently trails leading republican candidate Meg Whitman by 9 percentage points, down from the 50 that used to separate them.
