WWU community members rally on campus to defend public education

A coalition of students, the United Faculty of Washington State and community groups held a rally and march at Western Washington University against proposed state education budget cuts on Thursday, Oct.7, which is a National Day of Action to Defend Public Education.

The rally began at 11:45 a.m. at the Performing Arts Center Plaza at Western next to the Viking Union, and a march through campus followed.

The coalition notes that Gov. Chris Gregoire is proposing to cut yet another $9 million from Western's budget on top of the 34 percent in cuts to Washington colleges in recent years. These new proposed cuts would mean more tuition hikes, more financial aid cuts, more overcrowded classes, more overworked teachers and staff, more cuts in staff pay, jobs and benefits, according to the coalition.

The coalition is advocating:

• No budget cuts to education or other vital public services;
• No tuition hikes or cuts in financial aid and educational programs;
• No cuts in university jobs, pay, benefits or hours;
• Tax corporations and the wealthy, not the working class or middle class;
• A federal bailout for schools, not banks.

The rally and march was sponsored by Western United to Defend Education – a coalition of the United Faculty of Washington State, MEChA, WWU Socialist Alternative, Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, Veterans for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, U.S. Senate candidate Bob Burr, Alternative Library, and others.