Sage Lynn / Roundup
The Great Hall at Pierce College was packed wall-to-wall Monday afternoon with students looking for answers to the budget crisis that threatens to take away classes and raise tuition fees at the community college level in the state of California.
Dr. Pamela Brown, an instructor of political science, and James McKeever, an assistant professor of sociology, came together today to explain their views and raise possible solutions to the current budget cuts and tuition hikes looming over the community college system state-wide.
“I’m not getting extra credit,” said Kathleen Marroquin, while waiting for the debate to begin. “I just want to take part. This is ridiculous; we are the future of America.”
Marroquin’s situation is not unique on college campuses across the nation; she works a part-time job and goes to school part-time. “I used to pay all of it [tuition and books] myself, but now I get financial aid.”
Brown came to the debate armed with a box of books and a 15-page handout, which she paid for herself, to validate her arguments.
She went on to discuss her early political views moving on to her current stance as a libertarian.
Dr. Brown went on to explain how she feels that unions are responsible for good adjunct teachers being passed over because their tenured counterparts are being protected from being fired.
“I resist labels; I am not an activist,” said McKeever, in his opening statement. “I just get shit done; now is the time to become an activist.”
McKeever went on to say he was pro-union and disagreed with Brown by saying that tenured professors can be fired.
“Unions make sure management treats everyone equally,” said McKeever.
McKeever briefly mentioned the book, “The Shock Doctrine,” by Naomi Klein that explains that, after disasters, societies are susceptible to being overtaken by a one-sided government system.
After the opening statements, Dr. Brown and Professor McKeever took questions from the audience members. Students in support of both Brown and McKeever had questions prepared.
Several questions were raised about how to ‘fix’ the problem.
Dr. Brown was adamant in saying that everyone could be rich if they get an education for a lucrative career and not major in a subject that doesn’t make money. She believes in a “base tax” across the board and to stop giving special treatment to union workers.
McKeever’s solution is to pose higher taxes on the million and billionaires of the country. He feels that the rich would not become poor if they pay their fair share in taxes.