California is on course to wreck its own economy. This is one of the undeniable conclusions of higher education expert Tom Mortenson’s evaluation of the impact of disinvestment in our public higher education system.

He argues that the California economy has matured to the stage at which higher education is a key determinant of success both for individuals and for the state as a whole. Yet, in every key trend, California is on “a now well-established slide toward mediocrity.”

Now is the time for us as a state to reverse course and make better higher education policy choices. Or else.

And the nation should be watching. California’s fate has long been a signpost for the rest of the country.