In the State of the State address on Jan. 18, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed tax increases as a way to balance the state’s budget and prevent deeper cuts in education.

The address was part of his campaign to put the tax measure on the November ballot.

“Putting our fiscal house in order is good stewardship, and it helps to regain the trust of the people,” Brown said in the address.

If the initiative passes, sales taxes would increase by half a percent, and income taxes would be raised on those who earn $250,000 a year or more, according to the governor’s budget summary.

These tax increases would be in effect until the end of the 2016 tax year, according to the budget summary.

If the proposal does not pass, the budget summary estimated that $4.8 billion would be cut from schools and community colleges.

Eight out of 12 interviewed students at Cosumnes River College said they support Gov. Brown’s proposal.

Wilhelm Lichnock, 19, a physics major, said that the wealthy should be taxed.

“If you are making that much money, you can afford a little bit more of the tax,” Lichnock said.

He said that the flow of money is what the economy really needs, and that consumers who refuse to spend money are hurting the economy more than anything.

Phuoc Doan, a 19-year-old biological sciences major, said he hopes the proposal passes because he doesn’t want to see more cuts to education.

“Things are already pretty slim and lean as it is. I really don’t want to see that getting any slimmer. I was barely able to get any classes,” Doan said.

Other students disagreed with Brown’s proposal.

Damien Lee, 25, an emergency medical technology major, said that taxes give the government too much power.

“When you control the money, you really control the people,” Lee said.

He said that increasing taxes will eventually destroy the state from the inside out.

Matthew Theodore, a 26-year-old radio major, said that taxes should not be raised.

“I’m already a poor college student. I don’t need to spend another cent on food or what-not or shelter or anything like that,” Theodore said.

He said the problem is that the government isn’t handling the money properly.

“Manage the money first,” Theodore said. “Then start talking about making cuts.”

Richard Le, an economics professor at CRC, said these tax increases will have positive and negative effects in terms of consumer spending and education.

“Either you pay higher price and you have the same service continue, or you don’t pay higher price and the service will be cut,” Le said.

However, Le said that these are the measures that are needed for the economy.

“I always liken the economy as a patient in hospital,” Le said. “The patient is dying. The patient needs blood transfusion. What do you have to do? You have to give the patient a blood transfusion. Otherwise, the patient will die.”