One year ago today Cal Students peacefully protested massive fee hikes to the tune of 300% . They stood on Sproul Plaza and made their grievances known when riot police came along and started beating students.. A couple of weeks later peaceful students at UC Davis were pepper sprayed..To give you an idea of how harsh these hikes have been .. Less than 10 years ago students paid 1500 per semester to these public universities which for decades were actually free..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_f06VQOkI4

This year the average student will shell out 12k. There were plans to hike them up another 80%.. All this is happening as the money is being found to the tune of hundreds of millions to build new football stadiums and fancy new buildings and pay crazy salaries to deans and chancellors. There have been no rollbacks in any of those areas, but lots of sacrifices on students..

The passage of Prop 30 which was once known as the millionaire’s tax was designed to halt fee hikes and turn things around.. Students all over the state busted their butts to pass get the proposition passed.Out of state billionaires poured money into the state to try and defeat Prop 30. Students and teachers did what many deemed impossible. It was the first time in over 30 years a tax increase of this magnitude was passed in California. Sadly after all that work the UC Regents who are meeting next week are pushing to raise fees anyway..

Yesterday several hundred students held a rally in the pouring rain to protest and lmake it known they will be out in full force at those Regent meetings.. They also reminded folks that no politician can be trusted to solve these problems.. They will have to be pushed… Here’s an excerpt from yesterday with Cal Leader Katy speaking