The millionaire tax must pass! Why? Because let’s face it, with cuts being made to education by the state government, it will leave schools throughout the state with little choice but to cut teachers and classes in order to deal with the decrease in educational spending by the state government.

With the current state deficit and the three new education-spending initiatives on the ballot for voters to choose from, the millionaire tax is the one that serves us best by ensuring education gets funded so the current and future generations can achieve a better future.

Unlike Gov. Brown’s and Molly Munger’s tax initiatives, the millionaire tax will only raise rates on the top earners in the state, or as the California Federation of Teachers website puts it, “the one percent.” This means that Californians who make an annual income of over one million dollars will face a three- percent increase in taxes, and those who make more than two million dollars a year will have to pay five percent more in state income taxes.

Unlike the other two initiatives that raise taxes on everyone, the millionaire tax would leave those of us who can’t afford to pay more taxes unaffected by it. If you’re making over a million dollars a year, then why are complaining about your taxes? You have plenty of excess money available, right? Besides, if you’re making a million or more dollars and you don’t have the money available to pay taxes, then welcome to the 99 percent. That pain and anxiety you feel is what we feel every time our hard-earned money gets taxed (at a higher percentage) and we are forced to struggle to pay for the bare necessities of life.

If you don’t agree that millionaires have it too good, then you are welcome to move somewhere that will coddle the wealthy, but if you stay, be ready to face the music and help your fellow Californians as they attempt to get a better life through education and in turn achieve the American dream. You’ve already reached yours; it’s your turn to help others get there too.

It’s time to vote for the millionaire tax this coming November. Make the one percent help fund our education!