Prop 21

Proposition 21 is a offer to the Californian people concerning state parks. It is called, "The State Park and Wildlife Conservation Act." Funding for these state parks will come from the pockets of the citizens of California and will be charged to the registration of their vehicles. Proposition 21 will be voted upon this coming Tuesday and we shall see whether our opinions are correct.
After going over Prop 21 several times, I have concluded that I would not vote for it. There are numerous reasons why, however a few resound loudly in the minds of the people of California. In our current economic crisis, eighteen dollars per car, per year is adding up and the people of California simply do not have it. Extra fees and taxes are not going to bring about happiness from the citizens, nor is it truly necessary.
Yet another reason not to vote for Prop 21 is the lack of usage of State Parks. Not many people who do not live within ten minutes of a State Park will never use it. Personally, I have never visited a State Park and never really plan to. The people who spend eighteen dollars per car per year, and never visit the parks, are wasting their money. Last time I checked, most people do not like the sound of their money burning away.
An issue that is ever existent in most propositions these days, is the location of where the money is truly going. Its tough to know exactly what our funds are being used for, as well as how much were paying in the end. The Prop says that the fund will only be used for funding State Parks. However, later it says that some of the extra money may be used elsewhere if needed. Why should there even be extra money? These questions must be answered before the people of California will simply throw their money at something they do not see the end of.
Lastly, my opinion is that Proposition 21 will cause Californians only more grief and economic hardship. Without knowledge of the location of the fees that we're paying, as well as not being able to visit and enjoy the State Parks are a few reasons why Prop 21 should not be supported.

College Funding

As a graduating senior, college is swiftly approaching. With all the excitement and new opportunities it brings, college is expensive. There is no way around that fact. As a Christian looking to head into the ministry, private colleges are in the forefront of my search which makes my scholarship searching that much more necessary and crucial. No student should have to pay for college out of their own pocket, as well as any parent. Scholarships are out there for all who are willing to put in the work and research and time into finding them.
California Baptist University is at the top of my list for colleges that I wish to attend. They offer multiple scholarships that are applicable to me. The first scholarship that I will apply for is called the Federal Pell Grant. This is a federal program that awards scholarships based on the financial need of the student. Although, the financial need is there for ever student, this may not allow me to gain tons of money. Secondly, I am applying for is the Cal Grant. This grant is based on GPA and academics of the student's high school career. My academics are solid enough to allow me to receive a decent amount of money from the state of California in this grant. I will soon be filling out a FAFSA form to receive this grant.
CBU offers academic and athletic scholarships, as do most colleges. Thus, I will be searching and asking for those opportunities to be given. The Presidential scholarship is awarded to students with a 3.75 cumulative GPA and a 1,100 SAT score. I will be taking the SAT for the second time on November 6 to improve my score in hopes of receiving the Presidential scholarship. Athletic scholarships are also available, which is why I am practicing hard on the golf course to hopefully earn money for golf. I have spoken several times with the golf coach and have had conversations about scholarship money, which may be awarded at a later time.
Also at CBU, there is money available for BAT majors. The BAT program is the Bachelors of Applied Theology program that trains and prepares young men to become pastors. this is my desired field and I will hopefully receive scholarship money in that program. A friend of mine just received 15,000 dollars from the BAT program this year.
With some time still left on my plate, scholarship searching is getting more and more intense. I am still searching for more because of the obvious need for college funding. Nobody needs to wholly pay for college, but the student must work for the money that he may earn scholarships to be able to pay for college.