Chico would be "like Yuba City" without the local university, and continuing budget cuts in higher education in California are not only slashing jobs and opportunities, they are killing hope.

The importance of higher education for the state and the vital nature of Chico State to the local community were the twin themes of a "Town Hall" meeting staged Wednesday by the local chapter of the instructors' union, the California Faculty Association.

Officials from Chico State, along with government, business leaders and faculty, gathered in Trinity Hall on campus to remind each other how much damaged continuing budget cuts could cost.

Mayor Maureen Kirk told the group Chico State is the single most important economic engine for the community, and it helps shape the city's character as well.

"Chico just would not be Chico without Chico State. We would be like Yuba City," said the mayor.

She said cuts to Chico State's budget amount to cuts to the local economy.

Chico State President Paul J. Zingg underscored that point, explaining the university has roughly a $500 million impact on the local economy.

He went on to say the vast majority of the state's teachers are graduates of the California State University system. Locally, Chico State graduates the nurses, teachers and environmental specialists who serve the northeast corner of California.

In 1960 the California Legislature crafted a "Master Plan" for higher education. Over the intervening 40-plus years the state has promised to maintain "access, quality, and affordability" in higher education, according to Zingg.

Zingg said for all those years the master plan promised Californians their children could hope for a better life because of access to colleges and universities.

"The first casualty (of the budget cuts) is hope," said Zingg.

For the first time since 1960 the promise is no longer secure, and the loss of hope is leading to "despair," according to the president.

"The promise of this state and this nation, is things will get better, and that is truly threatened," said Zingg.

Zingg said a concerted effort of all involved parties is necessary to turn things around.

"We cannot restore hope alone. We need our community. We need our businesses. We need our elected officials. We need our students and we need our parents. We cannot do it alone," he said.

Carmen Rodriguez Ramirez, a 1997 civil engineering graduate of Chico State, said she is a living example of the promise of higher education.

She said she is the oldest of seven children and the first in her family to get a degree.

"My parent's dream was for all of their children to get a higher education," said Ramirez.

Having a degree means, "You have a better future, a better economic life, and you have less problems," she said.

Now all six of her siblings either have or soon will graduate from college.

Rick Rees, a member of the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees, said he understands and appreciates the budget pain being suffered at the university, where he works in the campus Office for Student Affairs.

He said the district's budgets have been slashed at the same time that enrollment has also shrunk and the shrinkage is going to continue for at least another decade.

Rees said the entire community, including the university, must come together to help the school district decide which elementary schools will have to be closed and then help in the process of "redrawing the district lines so each school more accurately reflects our community."

Scott McNall, Chico State's provost and vice president for academic affairs, said there is a relationship between people with degrees and their capacity to produce tax revenue.

He claimed every graduate adds $10,000 to the state's total tax base, and during the current academic year 10,000 individuals, who were otherwise qualified, were not admitted to the CSU.

McNall encouraged his listeners to do the math.

"No more cuts. NO MORE CUTS! That's the message," said McNall."