The Jan. 28 E-R stated the governor had ordered the California State University system to shuffle 4,500 incoming students off to the community college system in the fall. The poor community college system is already denying entry to students and canceling thousands of sections due to previous budget cuts. How can they be expected to add 18,000 more class sections? This obviously was an economic move (community colleges get less money per student than CSU schools). But, even if the community colleges could do it, it's only delaying the problem. In two years those students will want to transfer, but there will still be "no room at the inn. Both the university system and the CSU system turned away eligible transfer students this semester.

According to the article, CSU will deny entry to 20,000 applicants in the fall. Meanwhile, where will the 200,000 teachers we need by 2010, or the 65,000 nurses we need by 2007, come from? This is a lose-lose situation for everyone the students, their families, the public and the state.

There needs to be a wholesale examination of the community college and CSU systems to see what efficiencies could be effected to avoid this tragedy.

E.F. "Gene" Lucas, Chico