Voters across America will descend upon thousands of polling places to decide national, state and local issues ranging from selecting a president to approving funding for a variety of state and local issues.

All matters on the ballot are essential with three local items directly affecting Cerritos College and its students.

Those measures are propositions 30 , 38 and local Bond G going before the Cerritos College district voters as well.

Dr. Daniel E. Smith, Cerritos College instructional dean for health, physical education, dance, and athletics, expressed that Cerritos College was in a situation where cuts would still have to be made if Prop 30 passes, but, more cuts would have to occur if it didn’t.

Benjamin Hueso, California assembly member from San Diego said, “Right now we’re trying to keep the (California) community colleges program the cheapest and highest quality in the country and if this initiative (Prop 30) fails, we’re going to see a combination of increases in fees to students and layoffs for personnel.”

If approved, Proposition 30 will amend the California Constitution to include its changes, raising the state sales tax by a quarter percent across the board and increasing the personal income tax on individuals in the highest state tax brackets.

Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee said, “Prop 30’s new taxes would automatically trigger an increase in the state’s obligation under Prop 98. Prop 30 would not because its proceeds would virtually all go to schools anyway, without going through state budget, but not to community colleges.”

Proposition 98 was a voter sponsored initiative approved by voters in 1988 mandating that specific percentages of the California State budget be allocated and guaranteed to education.

It adds another part of the current initiative to the pile of reading necessary to fully understand props 30 and 38.

Proposition 30 has nearly 5,000 words in its written text.

According to Assembly Member Hueso, “Prop 30 still involves cuts that we (state legislature) voted on, but with the revenues we have, it would trigger other cuts that are going to impact elementary, community college and the (university) level. It’s not the direction we want to go in.”

Proposition 30 qualified for the November ballot by registered California voters, gathering a minimal of qualified registered voter signatures.

Hueso added, “The Governor (Brown) and the legislatures had to go out and collect signatures to put the initiative on the ballot.”

According to Hueso, if Proposition 30 fails, “It means more cuts. If you look at our (California) budget over the last several years, it went from approximately $120 billion to about $85 billion. That’s about $35 billion in cuts. That affects everything from transportation to healthcare, to education, so we (legislators) had to make some substantial cuts because basically we couldn’t reform our tax code, and the republicans were opposed to any reforms to the tax code that would increase revenues (raise taxes).”

First year Cerritos College student Jessica Gonzales said, “I have read a few of them (the propositions). This is my first time voting so I am not sure how it goes, but I am looking forward to it.

“I do want to read up on all the propositions before I actually vote.”

Gonzalez added, “I do not know the differences (between proposition 30, 38 and measure G).”

Proposition 38 is also a tax increase which mainly benefits K-12 before the community college system will see any benefits.

For the community college system to benefit immediately, prop 30 must not only succeed, but in the event that both 30 and 38 pass, Proposition 30 must pass with a higher vote count.

Sophomore Phillip Ramirez of the Kinesiology Club said that he was voting yes on Proposition 30.

Ramirez said, “(Cerritos College) should add more security and more math classes.”

The prop is slated to cover additional classes but also may provide funding for public safety programs as well.

Cerritos College Measure G is an independent ballot option to those residents living within the boundaries of the Cerritos College district.

If passed, it will authorize the issuance of bonds totaling nearly $350 million.

Unlike the state initiative which only needs a simple majority (50 percent + 1 Vote) to pass, Measure G requires a super majority to pass.

The 2012 General Election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 6.