Thank you for bringing some much-needed attention to the fact that Gila Community College hasn't been receiving its fair share of Proposition 301 money.
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Dear Editor:
Thank you for bringing some much-needed attention to the fact that Gila Community College hasn't been receiving its fair share of Proposition 301 money (“GCC appreciates Cook's efforts,” Copper Country News, May 17, 2017).
Prop. 301 was passed by Arizona voters in 2000 to create a funding stream for public education through increases in sales taxes, and in that regard it's become a huge financial supporter for schools around the state. However, provisional schools like Gila Community College were left in the cold when this funding took shape, leaving behind opportunities for growth in workforce development programs crucial to rural Arizonans.
Central Arizona’s economy depends heavily on Gila Community College’s workforce development programs to spur economic growth and offer opportunities for advancement. The college offers job training programs ranging from fire science, business administration, and computer science to cosmetology, dental assisting, and welding. Our workforce must be ready for jobs, or we can kiss the economic growth of our small cities and towns goodbye. To top it all off, after long discussions with constituents in my community, I discovered that the fight for increased funding to Gila Community College has been going on for nearly 11 years.
I fought tooth and nail during the state budget process to bring the needs of rural Arizona to the forefront, ultimately securing the much-needed funding Gila Community College needs. Now, the budget the Legislature just passed will earmark $250,000 for Gila Community College, with $200,000 each year ongoing after that.
Every dollar counts when we are talking about resources for rural Arizona, and I am grateful my colleagues in the Arizona Legislature took the time to understand rural challenges to continuing education and workforce development.
Although this is a victory for Central Arizona, the work is far from done. We must continue to be sure that resources are made available to those not living in major metropolitan areas and opportunities for rural Arizona are no longer ignored.
When the state doesn’t give rural Arizona the funds we desperately need, especially when our taxpayers contribute their share of Prop 301 sales taxes, I fight back, and I fight back hard.
Rep. David Cook
