This is one state election that students on this campus ?” in fact, students on all campuses ?” cannot afford to sit out.

Consider Proposition 76, a measure that would alter the state constitution and cap spending by changing the budget process and give the governor control of state finances. And that control would be over all budget matters, including the budget of the CSU system.

No one would have the power to override this new authority. And given how he has behaved towards students and student fees in the past, passage could be disastrous.Why?

A budget cap as proposed would prevent the CSU from taking the much-needed fiscal steps to catch up to the funding levels that return the university to where it should be after years and years of slashing and cutting. Look around in your classrooms and see how packed they are. Look around at how many classes are not being offered. Look around at how your fees have climbed in the past few years.

Support of the university from the state has shrunk, and student fees have been going up while services to you have been declining. You are paying more and simply getting less.

The much touted ‘compact’ between the governor and the CSU was just a not-very-transparent way to slap students with fee increases, while not improving things on campuses.

Look for another fee increase next July on top of what already has been implemented this year.If Proposition 76 is a bad idea, Proposition 75 is even worse because it is a blatant attempt by the governor and others to silence the opposition.

The governor’s reason for seeking some peace and quiet is understandable. He has systematically tried to slap down every group that has spoken out against his policies: firefighters, police, nurses, teachers, university faculty and even college students.

Through Proposition 75, he wants to ensure that public employee unions in the state don’t have money to lobby against his highly paid lobbyists. But on the issue of how much money he gets in donations ?” and uses to trumpet his causes ?” he’s silent.

For students, any attempt to muzzle the California Faculty Association (CFA) should be viewed with alarm. During the past few years, while the California State University Trustees and the chancellor relentlessly cut budgets, raised student fees and squandered money on boondoggle projects like the Common Management System (CMS), it was CFA that stood up for students’ rights to reasonable class sizes, affordable access and for quality education.

By the way, on the Common Management System issue, it was the CFA that went to the legislature and asked for (and got!) an audit by the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. The audit (available to the public) showed that the CSU will have wasted many millions of dollars when the system is finished ?” and then will have to spend millions more annually on consultants to keep the computer system running.

These two Propositions ?” if passed ?” will negatively impact this campus and the other campuses in the CSU system. They should be defeated ?” and can be defeated ?” by CSU students, if students are willing to get out and vote.

The polls show that CSU students represent a large enough constituency to make a difference in this special election.

I urge you to vote and prove it. And also to vote against Proposition 75 and Proposition 76. Students have a lot at stake and a lot to lose if they don’t!

Cecil Canton is the President of the California Faculty Association for the CSU, Sacramento Chapter