Spring 2010
Committee:
Governmental Relations Committee
Whereas, Due to the economic hardships that the State of California continues to face, including a $21 billion deficit, many civic and educational services and programs are forced to have their funds significantly cut—especially from K-14 education—and the deprivation of funds for the services and programs that relate to education inherently robs students from avenues of obtaining academic success and, by extension, the potential for them to succeed in life;
Where, That life, education, opportunity, and happiness are among the highest of upheld values in our society and ought not to be substituted for anything less; such as allowing profits of multi-national oil and water corporations to continue ascending while quality of, as well as access to, these normative values lessens;
Whereas, The billions of dollars in annual profits of oil and water conglomerates continue to exist in parallel to the decline of available funding not only for education but for firefighters, police, care for the elderly, state parks, health insurance, etc.; and
Whereas, That taxing the gross value of each barrel of oil from companies who “…sever oil from the earth or water in this state for sale, transport, consumption, storage, profit, or use, as provided, at the rate of 10%…” (www.lao.ca.gov, 2010) would overwhelmingly assist in compensating for the financial cuts in K-14 education as well as higher education and many other programs that increase the quality of life;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges endorse the establishment of an oil severance tax in California;
Where, That life, education, opportunity, and happiness are among the highest of upheld values in our society and ought not to be substituted for anything less; such as allowing profits of multi-national oil and water corporations to continue ascending while quality of, as well as access to, these normative values lessens;
Whereas, The billions of dollars in annual profits of oil and water conglomerates continue to exist in parallel to the decline of available funding not only for education but for firefighters, police, care for the elderly, state parks, health insurance, etc.; and
Whereas, That taxing the gross value of each barrel of oil from companies who “…sever oil from the earth or water in this state for sale, transport, consumption, storage, profit, or use, as provided, at the rate of 10%…” (www.lao.ca.gov, 2010) would overwhelmingly assist in compensating for the financial cuts in K-14 education as well as higher education and many other programs that increase the quality of life;
Resolved, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges endorse the establishment of an oil severance tax in California;
Status
Completed. The Student Senate Council endorsed an oil severance tax petition in Fall 2011.