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Hello Education For All,<BR>
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As you are aware members of our organization attended the Southern California regional meeting in Los Angeles this past Saturday regarding the March 4th action plan. There were six delegates at the meeting representing the San Diego front, all were members of EFA. We were excited to meet representation from all factions of the struggle. The UC, CSU, Community Colleges, K-12 system, Radio, Unions, Parents, and various other elements of society were active in attendance. Below you'll find a report we've written for the coalitions that attended the meeting summarizing our collective declarations.<BR><BR>
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<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><FONT size=5>Southern California United Coalitions for a Statewide Action</FONT></H1>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">(UC, CSU, CC, K-12, Civil Society) <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></H1>
<H1 style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" align=center><FONT size=5>Inner-Coalition Report on December 5, 2009 Meeting in Los Angeles</FONT></H1></FONT></FONT></H1>
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<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=ecxMsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>On December 5<SUP>th</SUP>, 2009 at 1pm, the first meeting of the Southern CA Coalition met to discuss a strategy for the statewide demonstration planned for March 4<SUP>th</SUP>, 2009.<SPAN> </SPAN>Central and Northern CA also hosted meetings in an effort to develop the movement and unite existing elements progressing in their own locals and districts.<SPAN> </SPAN>The mission on the statewide level is to unite students, teachers, communities, and civil society as a whole to develop an effective strategy for resolving the imprudent and insensible reduction by the state in the allocation of funds for education.<SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN>It is absolutely essential that the general public be provided the information necessary to recognize that the political response to the state’s economic situation is having an overwhelmingly delitirious effect on California’s working class.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=ecxMsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>The Southern CA coalition meeting reflected on experiences of the demonstrations held on November 18<SUP>th</SUP> thru November 20<SUP>th</SUP>.<SPAN> </SPAN>Representatives of student, teacher, and community organizations from San Diego, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles presented their observations in order to refine and organize future action plans.<SPAN> </SPAN>The tone of the meeting indicated that the foundation of the movement is solidifying into a powerful democratic voice that can represent the interests of students, teachers, and the general working class in California.<SPAN> </SPAN>This is a responsibility held virtuously where the strategic response is to consider and include civil society beyond the education system, as they are also experiencing the consequences of the state’s decisions.<SPAN> </SPAN>Within each region, district, and campus there exists independent struggles, ideas, and objectives.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our foundation, however, weaves each interest into a common cause:<SPAN> </SPAN>That everyone desires to live in a just society free of unsustainable exploitation and stress. Our actions, though controversial in today’s discourse, are the most effective legal expressions of democracy for the current economic environment.<SPAN> </SPAN>Within America’s historical movements and declarations for liberty, the most dynamic and influential occurred via workers unions’ struggles, civil rights marches, and student strikes.<SPAN> </SPAN>It is no coincidence that our assertive voice rooted in the fight for educational justice is inspiring the formulation of a collective consciousness by civil society that is also promoting our call to action.</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=ecxMsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>In order to maintain the unification of our establishment it is essential to promote the fundamental needs of which we all share.<SPAN> </SPAN>That is, it is necessary to implement progressive tax policies, eliminate reckless tax exemptions and tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, and reform the undemocratic two-third vote requirement that only CA maintains, in the aim of promoting new tax laws and budgets.<SPAN> </SPAN>Such recommendations serve to encourage solidarity and inhibit alienation, as our assembly includes a broad spectrum of people and circumstances.<SPAN> </SPAN>The energy that our actions are bringing to society will organically promote the appropriate policies needed to reform the system, which in fact are already being developed.<SPAN> </SPAN>In such a struggle, selflessness in the spirit of nobility is a requirement above all other interests. </FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=ecxMsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>The opposition’s tactics to defeat our cause is through division and dissolution. By igniting egos and sowing divisions, the experiences that bind us are diffused and a co-optation of our movement by administration officials is secured.<SPAN> </SPAN>It is important to recognize the difference between an administration that truly pledges support and one that pretends to support in order to manipulate the direction and attitude of the respective event or organization.<SPAN> </SPAN>This is a grass roots movement of epic magnitude with the ability to enrich society and community, our understanding and compassion offers the ingredients necessary to materialize a successful transformation of the current status quo.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our greatest strength is our numbers.<SPAN> </SPAN>They may see hundreds or thousands at our rallies, but we represent millions upon millions.<SPAN> </SPAN>The element of education that has direct access to this community is the K-12 system.<SPAN> </SPAN>The impact of education cuts on children will have the greatest impact on their lives and the future direction of society.<SPAN> </SPAN>The force of this impact is also absorbed by the parents, representing receptive families and communities willing to pledge their support and contribution for their child’s sake.<SPAN> </SPAN>It is essential that the institutions of higher education support and unite with the movements taking place in the K-12 system.<SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in" class=ecxMsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>The devastating cuts to the educational budget is consequently debilitating the public education system, setting grounds for the politicians to institute its privatization.<SPAN> </SPAN>Their presented excuse, that the money does not exist to fund education, is a blatant lie.<SPAN> </SPAN>The issue is a matter of priorities.<SPAN> </SPAN>California is the richest state in the richest country in the world.<SPAN> </SPAN>The United States has a larger military budget than the rest of the worlds military budgets combined.<SPAN> </SPAN>California politicians have been systematically increasing the allocation of funds for prisons while diverging it away from education and social programs.<SPAN> </SPAN>Our intent must be to cultivate this awareness and ferment the momentum required to realign the state’s priorities and the political officials who have illogically allocated California's financial resources into vain and detrimental investments.<SPAN> </SPAN>The meeting in Southern California was successful in establishing a declaration of solidarity amongst the coalitions in the struggle for educational justice.<SPAN> </SPAN>The daunting task of organizing a statewide response to the budget crisis in an effective manner is developing professionally and wisely.<SPAN> </SPAN>As participants of this movement we must take the growth that materialized at the Southern CA regional meeting and implement a detailed strategy for our own region.<SPAN> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=ecxMsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black" lang=EN><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>~ The Collective Voice</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P> <BR><BR>
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