Author: admin

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    UCLA History: Old Tunnel (and maybe a new tunnel in the future?)

    Byadmin

    Above is a phote of the opening in 1930 of the Sepulveda tunnel north of UCLA.  A story in the LA Daily News describes grand plans, nowhere near fruition, for such options as a new tunnel under the pass, a rapid busway, or a rail system.  Of course, while construction on such options occurred, there would be gridlock of the type we currently have with the 405 widening.  The story can be found at:http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_22265223/tunnel-beneath-sepulveda-pass-or-widen-405-freeway

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    No Deli

    Byadmin

    There are not a lot of deli options near UCLA.  If you go down Westwood Blvd., however, toward Pico, you come to Junior’s.  According to the LA Times, however, Junior’s is going to close by the end of the year – which doesn’t give it much time to do so. According to the LA Times‘ story, the rent was upped and business is down, resulting in the closure. Junior’s Deli, a 53-year-old Westside staple, will close at the end of the year, narrowing the ranks of Jewish delis in Southern California. Employees, some of them multi-decade veterans of the business,…

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    More on State Budget Leaks

    Byadmin

    As a previous post noted, this is the season in which there are leaks about the governor’s upcoming budget proposal for 2013-14 which will be presented officially in early January.  Given the timing, the budget is already prepared, or 99% prepared. So far, there has been no leak about higher ed.  However, there is an item today in the Sacramento Bee about K-12 (a much larger chunk of the state budget) that suggests the governor will propose revamping the K-12 allocation formulas to give more assistance to disadvantaged children and districts with concentrations of such children. He pushed for changes…

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    How Ironclad is the Pension Guarantee?

    Byadmin

    Famous clash of Civil War ironclads There is a risk in even blogging about this topic that someone will start worrying that his/her pension check next month won’t arrive.  So the usual caveats are in order.  1) There is enough money in the UC pension today so that if no one contributed (and in fact contributions are being made and ramping up), 2) and investment returns were zero over the long term (very unlikely), the fund would not run out of money for many, many years.  And even at that point, there could be pay-as-you-go funding.  In addition, the Regents’…

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    UCLA Undergrad Philanthropy Course

    Byadmin

    The LA Times today carries a story about a fall quarter undergraduate philanthropy course in which $100,000 was distributed to various local charitable groups by students who research such groups. The course was taught by Dean Judi Smith.   Back in May, the Daily Bruin carried a story about the course which was then being announced.  You can find the original story at: http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2012/05/new_ucla_course_offers_third_and_fourthyears_chance_to_donate_100000_to_local_nonprofits   The LA Times’ story about the outcome of the course is at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ucla-philanthropy-20121224,0,5878820.story   UCLA put out two media releases about the course outcome earlier this month but apparently the LA Times reserved it as a…

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    Good News Story About the Med Center at UCLA; Not So Good at UC-Davis

    Byadmin

    The web brings Good News about the UCLA med center in the form of a new transplant procedure: http://www.smmirror.com/articles/Health/UCLA-Performs-First-Breathing-Lung-Transplant-In-United-States/36374 On the other hand, our friends at UC-Davis are getting anything but good news from the feds in a story that might make some folks there nostalgic for the days when all they had to worry about was pepper spraying: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/23/5072625/evaluation-of-uc-davis-medical.html

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    In case you missed it…

    Byadmin

    An interesting story appeared in yesterday’s LA Times by columnist Sandy Banks about UCLA adjunct law professor Anthony Tolbert who turned his house over to needy strangers and moved in with his mother to make room. When Tony Tolbert turned 50 last year, he marked the occasion by moving in with his mother.  The decision wasn’t about money. He’s a Harvard-educated attorney, on the staff of UCLA’s law school. And it wasn’t because his mother wanted or needed him home. It was Tolbert’s response to the sort of midlife milestone that prompts us to take stock. Instead of buying a…

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    Tobacco Tax for UC/CSU Student Aid Initiative Filed

    Byadmin

    Note: We posted this story yesterday although blogger now shows it as today for reasons unknown. An initiative has been filed that would raise tobacco taxes to fund student aid at UC and CSU.  The usual caveats apply.  It takes $1-$2 million to pay signature gathering firms to get such a petition on the ballot (as opposed to $200 to file it).  A tobacco tax initiative brings out big money opposition from tobacco companies.  Recall the tobacco tax that failed last June.  So a sponsor – if serious – would have to have deep pockets to carry out an effective…

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    Proponents of Tobacco Tax for UC/CSU Scholarships May Not Just Be Blowing Smoke

    Byadmin

    Yesterday (although blogger now shows it as today and later than this posting for reasons unknown), we noted an initiative had been filed that would tax tobacco to provide scholarship aid for UC and CSU students.  We noted in particular that the initiative was professionally drafted, unlike many that are filed and, so, might have serious backers that could really fund a campaign. The San Francisco Chronicle picks up the story today and notes the Lt. Governor Newsom seems linked to the initiative.  The initiative’s spokesperson is someone named in an earlier item in the Chronicle as a key aide…

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    UCLA History: Winter 1932

    Byadmin

    Now that we have survived a supposed Mayan prediction of the end of the world and are in the first full day of winter, here is a snow scene of Powell in 1932. If you are curious about why we survived, NASA has some answers:[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY_Gc1bF8ds?feature=player_embedded] And, by the way, as far as I can tell, the correct pronunciation of WINTER is WINTR:[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwgEY2JJXV8?feature=player_detailpage]