How much does community cost?

For most students, Sonoma State University is a temporary home. Though some students live locally before attending SSU, or plan to linger locally after graduation, few students ever have the chance to become particularly invested in Cotati and Rohnert Park.

In fact, few students ever vote in county or city elections, choosing instead of remain registered in their hometowns. Which means that few students will be voting on the proposed half-cent sales tax, which will be on the ballot in April. But while students may not vote locally, they certainly shop locally and will inevitably see the effects of the measure, should it pass.

The sales tax increase, which would charge shoppers an additional half-cent on every dollar spent in Cotati, would be spent locally, to help fund police services, street maintenance and park maintenance and other city services.

This proposal, which would inevitably raise a substantial portion of its money from SSU students, begs the question "How invested should university students be in the surrounding community?" SSU, a microcosm of Cotati and Rohnert Park, offers many students the only community they will ever seek during their tenure at SSU. Should college students feel bitter about paying for a community they may not even consider themselves a part of?

A series of grassroots movements are calling for people to invest in their communities, to patronize locally owned businesses, eat locally grown food and invest in local, main street banks.