CSU Alliance takes to the field

The Alliance for the CSU tried to raise Long Beach citizens’ awareness about CSU budget cuts and their effects on higher education, students and the economy Thursday night at Blair Field, home of the Long Beach Armada baseball team.    

The Alliance’s presence at the game was an attempt to win support for the CSU statewide. The message was clear from the moment entering the stadium. Signs and buttons that stated “CSU Is the Solution” were plastered all over the main entrance.  

According to a Cal State Long Beach professor and president of the California Faculty Association at CSULB, Teri Yamada, CFA donated each ticket for that night’s game to the public in their effort to recruit new members and get people involved and active about the CSU budget cut.

The proposed budget cut of $386 million by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the CSU system has already been reduced by $97.6 million. But the Alliance is striving for fully funded higher education, says CFA Treasurer Peter G. Kreysa.

“Taking money away from the CSU budget is like eating your seed corn,” Kreysa said. “If you eat the seeds you won’t have anything to plant next season.”   

According to the CSU Alliance, the proposed budget cut will make it harder to get into and stay in a CSU, and if the if less students graduate from a CSU then stimulation of the economy will fall.    

“The governor needs to not see this as a cost, but rather an investment in these students’ lives,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, CFA associate vice president of lecturers.                

“Every single dollar supports CSU students. The money isn’t just for classes, but for counseling and internships as well,” Hoffman said.

Cuts to the CSU may undermine future growth in meeting California’s human infrastructure needs, according to CFA.

“The CSU is an economic engine in California, and needs more support,” Kreysa said. “It provides the majority of engineers, teachers, and nurses all of which the governor says we need.”

This engine would need to pump out 100,000 more teachers in 10 years according to the Gov. Schwarzenegger’s plan — a number that the Alliance for the CSU deems impossible if the budget is cut by the proposed amount.     

The Alliance for the CSU said it sees these cuts undermining California’s economy and revenue to the state.        

“The economy around a CSU gets stimulated as well from students. With fewer students attending a CSU this coming year, it will only hurt the local economy,” Kreysa said.

CFA President Lillian Taiz was adamant about getting the Alliance’s goal to fully fund higher education out to the public.       

“We were getting a teaspoon of funding before the budget cuts, now they want to take that teaspoon away,” Taiz said. “If we get all the $386 million back we’re still in a hole.”

Taiz threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with CSU Executive Vice Chancellor Gary Reichard. Reichard spoke of the analogy between the baseball game and the CSU Alliance.

“Just like baseball is a team sport, we all need to join as a team to continue supporting the CSU,” Reichard said.