One of the great progressive achievements in American history (and no, that isn't hyperbole) is the nationwide adoption of universal public education. Here in California we went one better and created what for many decades was seen as the world's leading system of higher education - the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education.

Both were created out of the recognition that for California to have broadly shared economic prosperity, it was *essential* that we have a strong public education system that included *affordable* and *accessible* college education for those who desired it. California's fantastic economic success over the last 50 to 60 years was enabled in no small part by this commitment to education. And even after the state began entering a slow period of decline in 1978, with increasing inequality and slowly contracting public services, the educational system was still able to train a skilled and innovative workforce that helped sustain California until the present crisis hit.

Now all of that is about to be destroyed. California's colleges are facing cuts so vast that they will finally eliminate what remains of the *affordable* and *accessible* promise while turning the world-renowned system into "bachelor degree mills" that no longer contribute research knowledge to the state - knowledge that in the past spawned entire industries, including the high-tech industry.

At the same time the state legislature is poised to deliver major cuts to education spending - the only debate at this point seems to be "how" and not "if." Schools already sustained a $9 billion hit through an illegal interpretation of the Prop 98 rules, so now Arnold Schwarzenegger wants the legislature to suspend Prop 98 outright. Democrats, who have been engaged in a slow-motion cave yet again, appear likely to go along with some form of the insane cut.

Nobody has yet explained how this will do anything to promote economic recovery. Instead it is likely to leave California permanently behind the rest of the nation and much of the industrialized world for quite some time. Without being able to educate our children ind decent schools, it will be difficult to retain businesses here as they will struggle to find qualified workers, and will continually lose employees to other states that have not decided education is no longer important or valuable.

Unfortunately California in 2009 is a place where the word "future" is a verboten word, rivaled only by the phrase "economic recovery" in the level of disdain it is held in Sacramento. We are told that the need to cut trumps all else in our state - apparently it even trumps common sense.

Democrats have convinced themselves a budget deal is necessary to avert meltdown. But that meltdown is already here. Agreeing to destroy education in this state would merely be agreeing to ensure the radioactivity is channeled primarily at the young.