The most effective argument against education budget cuts I can think of actually came from a speech by former Speaker John Vasconcellos several years ago.  Mr. Vasconcellos said that “sometimes people are “convinced to do the right thing for the wrong reason.”  The example he used was the aging of California’s population.  Old people need help with caregiving; younger people will be providing that care; would you want someone who couldn’t read very well to be helping you read or not read the labels on your own medication bottles?  If the answer is No, then are you willing to pay for educating those younger would be caregivers so that they can function adequately for you on a personal basis in your future?
 
Another argument against the budget cuts is that student loans are becoming increasingly difficult to get.  Traditional funders are bailing out in droves and newer private lenders are requiring higher FICO scores, over 600, which most community college students do not have, nor do their parents.  If you cut access to student loan money at the same time the community college budget is cut, that means economically disadvantaged students are effectively barred from getting the very education that could provide a means of moving forward and out of poverty.  In this case, the short term benefit of cutting education results in increasing long term costs for social services for those who can’t afford education.
 
Perhaps if you delivered a big cake to the Gov. with the words:  “Cut this instead of education”  the publicity surrounding the proposed “Have they no bread, let them eat cake!” budget balancing philosophy might capture the public attention.
 
 
Just a thought from a community college librarian who has no money to buy books and is down to her last box of staples due to budget cuts!

note: I am not a librarian, but a friendly one sent this to me so i thought i would share it with everyone. who wants to bake the cake??