It makes perfect sense, yet it makes no sense.

Perfect sense because the obvious tendency when one is lacking money is to cut back spending.

No sense because cutting back money to community colleges is only going to hurt California in the long run.

The budget cuts affecting community colleges are sure to damage California’s economy far more in the future then it is helping in the present.

Yes, cuts need to be made. To ignore the fact that the money is not there would be ignorant.

But cutting back public school funds is the equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a problem that a Band-Aid clearly can’t fix.

The problem is that with less money, colleges will be forced to offer fewer classes and turn students away.

No one is going to say, “No, you cannot enroll here. Please leave.” But further limiting the already limited amount of core curriculum classes is in essence saying, “We have no room for you. Try again next semester.”

And as is often seen, next semester too often into turns into next year which turns into never. And people who were willing to go to school never went.

And the truth is, even though all Californians stand to lose at the prospect of a less educated population, this is not going to hurt the people making the decisions nearly as much as it will hurt those enduring their effects.

Specifically, were talking about lower income, working people of color.

It is no surprise to say that certain ethnicities are underrepresented on university campuses and thus in the professional workforce.

Limiting accessibility to these underrepresented people will only continue the cycle.

Education has been called the great equalizer. But it only works this way when everyone is given an equal chance at it.

Granted, not all schools are the same. No one is ever given the exact same opportunity to succeed as the next person.

But just because this is the way things are does not mean this is the way things should be.

As a society we should strive to break down economic and social barriers and provide all students with the opportunity for an education.

It is doubtful that everything will ever be equal. But we should be making progress toward equality rather than taking steps back in its advancement.

Education is one primary ways this can be achieved.

This is not to imply that there are not other worthy recipients of tax money. Surely welfare, for example, is among them. But look at it this way: without a functioning public education system, few will be able to get off welfare at all.

To limit access to education is to hurt individuals’ futures and to hinder economic progress for California.

So cut funding to street renovation; cut funding to tax relief; cut funding to Sacramento’s beaurocracy but do not cut funding to the community college!

Upon it hinges much of California’s future.