Month: March 2011

governor | pension | pensions | politics | State Budget | UC Regents

PART II: UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say You Weren’t Warned
Byuclafaculty March 26, 2011

Someone asked yours truly yesterday whether the GOP pension initiative actually covered existing employees as well as new hires. Apparently, there was a report that the Republican legislator in whose name the initiative was submitted had denied it. The article below – as well as the language of the initiative – makes it clear that existing employees are to be included. The article also notes that Gov. Brown is willing to accept a pension cap of $106,000. That is different from the initiative which has a 60% final pay cap. But it is unacceptable for UC faculty and would override…

Read More PART II: UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say You Weren’t Warned
UC Merced

Don’t Stop Now: UC Merced to start work on building
Byuclafaculty March 25, 2011

UC Merced to start work on building Yesenia Amaro, March 24, 2011, Merced Sun-Star University of California at Merced officials say students will soon have more space to exercise and hold meetings… The university recently received approval to move forward with its Recreation Center North project, an estimated 20,000-square-foot recreation building. Jane Lawrence, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the university received an $8.5 million loan from the UC Office of the President to pay for the construction. The university will repay the loan with an existing student fee. No new student fees will be charged. The project consists of…

Read More Don’t Stop Now: UC Merced to start work on building
U of Texas

What $200,000 a year buys at the U of Texas
Byuclafaculty March 25, 2011

Inside Higher Ed points today to a story in an Austin, Texas paper. The story speaks for itself. UT regents’ special adviser losing his job: Rick O’Donnell’s criticism of academic research didn’t sit well with lawmakers, others. Austin American-Statesman, 3/24/11, Ralph K.M. Haurwitz A special adviser with controversial views on research, teaching and other matters was reassigned by the University of Texas System on Thursday to a new job that will end by Aug. 31. The move is unlikely to quell concerns about the direction of the state’s largest and most prestigious university system under Gene Powell, chairman of the…

Read More What $200,000 a year buys at the U of Texas
governor | pension | pensions | politics | UC Regents

UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say Later You Weren’t Warned
Byuclafaculty March 25, 2011

Two initiative petitions were submitted earlier today. One, reproduced below, deals with pensions. It would explicitly cover UC and, thus, would override the pension changes enacted by the Regents last December. For example, it limits the final pension to 60% of final salary. It covers existing employees as well as new hires. The second is essentially a revival of the old GANN initiative that was passed by voters shortly after Prop 13. The GANN limit restricted the rise in state spending (general fund plus other funds) to the inflation rate plus the growth in population. GANN was essentially gutted in…

Read More UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say Later You Weren’t Warned
governor | pension | pensions | politics | State Budget

Poll Results on Pensions and Budgets: Let’s Be Cautious in Interpreting the Results
Byuclafaculty March 24, 2011

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) takes a respected monthly poll on public attitudes in the state on political and policy issues. The March release is just out. Taken at face value, the public is very concerned about the state budget situation (Figure 2 – scroll down below), there is slippage in support for a special election advocated by Gov. Brown on tax extensions (although a bare majority still support the plan – Figure 3), cutting public pensions is seen as a good way to balance the budget (Figure 4), and the way to reform public pensions is to…

Read More Poll Results on Pensions and Budgets: Let’s Be Cautious in Interpreting the Results
governor | politics | State Budget

Outlines of Plan B on the State Budget? Or Negotiating?
Byuclafaculty March 23, 2011

Gov. Brown has been hinting that – if he can’t get Republican votes in the next few days to put tax extensions on the ballot – he will do something else to get on the ballot. Example: Brown considering other paths on taxes as Republicans stand firm in talks Steven Harmon, Contra Costa Times, 3/22/11 SACRAMENTO — As Gov. Jerry Brown continued to negotiate with Republican legislators on his plan to extend taxes, he also has begun to weigh going it alone, sources said Tuesday. That could take two paths — forcing a special election onto the ballot through a…

Read More Outlines of Plan B on the State Budget? Or Negotiating?
governor | politics | State Budget

Panic in the Streets
Byuclafaculty March 22, 2011

From former State Assembly Leader Willie Brown’s column this week in the San Francisco Chronicle: What a town. I was at Walgreens the other afternoon and was stunned by the number of people lined up to buy potassium iodide to ward off the possible effects of radiation wafting over from Japan. Even more stunning was watching those same people, clutching their iodide protection, proceed to jaywalk across New Montgomery Street and dodge cars in their rush to get back to work. Full column is at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/20/BAAT1IEMD4.DTL Actually, the item in the column that you might want to panic about is…

Read More Panic in the Streets
faculty center | UCLA

Faculty Club Membership Votes Heavily Against Demolishing It for Hotel/Conference Center
Byuclafaculty March 22, 2011

The item below appeared earlier today on the Faculty Center website. Apparently, the membership does not have the problem pictured to the right: The Votes Have Been Tallied!The ballots on the question “Should the Faculty Center building be torn down to be replaced by a Hotel/Conference Center/Faculty Club” have been counted in the presence of representatives of the various interested groups and the outcome is: Yes = 269 (in favor of the FC being replaced) No = 815 (oppose the FC being replaced) The results will be communicated to those involved in planning the proposed Hotel/Conference Center/Faculty Club. Taken from…

Read More Faculty Club Membership Votes Heavily Against Demolishing It for Hotel/Conference Center
governor | politics | State Budget

Brown Appeals to Public for 2/3 Vote on Tax Extensions
Byuclafaculty March 21, 2011

Gov. Brown still does not have the few Republican votes he needs to put his proposed tax extensions on the ballot. My guess is that he has until about April 1 to get those votes if the election is to occur before the end of June. An election could occur after June 30, of course, but that would a) put it into the next fiscal year (for which the vote is supposed to apply) and b) make it hard to refer to the proposal as tax “extensions” (rather than increases) since the temporary taxes will then have expired. Below is…

Read More Brown Appeals to Public for 2/3 Vote on Tax Extensions
faculty center | UCLA

Body Parts and Hotels
Byuclafaculty March 20, 2011

Some of you who read the LA Times may have been reminded of the body parts scandal at UCLA that unfolded about 6 years ago by a column that appeared yesterday by Sandy Banks. You may not have connected it, however, with the current controversy about the hotel/conference center proposed to replace the existing Faculty Center. Below is an excerpt from the column by Banks, followed by some observations and a question. — Lost UCLA cadavers’ final chapter: With no hope of winning lawsuits over loved ones’ remains, relatives fight for the last word. Sandy Banks, March 19, 2011, LA…

Read More Body Parts and Hotels

Month: March 2011

PART II: UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say You Weren’t Warned

Don’t Stop Now: UC Merced to start work on building

What $200,000 a year buys at the U of Texas

UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say Later You Weren’t Warned

Poll Results on Pensions and Budgets: Let’s Be Cautious in Interpreting the Results

Outlines of Plan B on the State Budget? Or Negotiating?

Panic in the Streets

Faculty Club Membership Votes Heavily Against Demolishing It for Hotel/Conference Center

Brown Appeals to Public for 2/3 Vote on Tax Extensions

Body Parts and Hotels

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

UC Faculty Associations

Higher Ed Policy

Labor and Advocacy

Follow us on