More Cuts for UC Under Simple-Majority Budget

If Republican votes cannot be obtained to put tax extensions on the ballot, Democrats in the legislature are reported to be poised to pass a simple-majority budget that would include more cuts to UC. From the Sacramento Bee website:

The proposal… includes the following:

– $3.4 billion in deferred payments to K-12 schools, community colleges and the University of California. Schools could maintain programs as long as they borrow to fund them.

– $1 billion in taking First 5 funds, a move already under legal challenge.

– $1.7 billion by asking redevelopment agencies to contribute money to the state under threat of elimination.

– $300 million in additional cuts to University of California and California State University.

– $740 million in borrowing from state special funds.

– $700 million in federal funding to correct past Medi-Cal errors.

– $150 million cut to state courts.

– Smaller reserve of $570 million, compared to Brown’s proposed $1.2 billion.

Full article at: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/06/democratihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifc-budget-relies-on-sm.html

Note that it is unclear at this point how much of this budget proposal is a negotiating strategy. Gov. Brown hinted that he might sign such a budget if there were no GOP support for his ballot measure. But that would violate his election pledge to have a vote on taxes. The proposal also revives the sale and lease-back of state office buildings which Brown opposed earlier this year.

In theory, a tax measure could be put on the ballot via the initiative process. But someone would have to come up with the money to gather signatures. No such initiative has been filed.

In any case, we are clearly at risk:

UPDATE: The latest Field Poll shows slipping voter support for tax extensions and a negative view of tax increases. Absent the “bridge” tax extensions the governor wants, the extensions would become increases by the time a ballot measure – if there ever is one – arrived. See http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/15/3701203_a3701103/field-poll-support-slipping-for.html