Higher education cuts threaten our future - ROB WEISSKIRCH, Monterey Herald

California's systems of higher education are in trouble—big trouble. We're talking about more than just financial trouble. There are problems that will undermine the well-being of our state. The state budget quagmire is poised to seriously compromise the ability of the university systems to provide a quality education. For example, the California State University system is expected to receive $584 million less than originally budgeted for the year, a 16 to 20 percent reduction.