Author: uclafaculty

Court Decision: UC Must Disclose Detailed Venture Capital Fund Returns

Byuclafaculty

Inside Higher Ed reports today that UC has been ordered to make public information on rates of return received from venture capital funds in which it invests.  UC has had this battle before – and lost it back in 2003.  My guess in reading the Inside Higher Edreport and the Reuters report on which it is based is that the University asked the funds not to give it more than summary information on a collective return on various funds so it could say it didn’t have the detailed info.  Or it may be that the funds told UC that it…

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UCLA Admissions Controversy

Byuclafaculty

The Daily Bruin today carries a story about a report by Law Professor Richard Sander indicating that UCLA admissions officers are violating Prop 209 – the anti-affirmative action initiative that bans preferences based on race and ethnicity. According to the story, although UCLA uses a “holistic” numerical rating system (which was meant to encourage diversity), minority admissions go beyond what the scores would indicate.  Undoubtedly, there will be controversy about this report. You can find the Daily Bruin story athttp://www.dailybruin.com/article/2012/10/findings-by-law-professor-suggest-that-ucla-admissions-may-be-violating-prop-209  It contains a link to the Sander study. Prop 209 was approved by voters after a prior action by the…

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ObamaJam Possible on Wednesday

Byuclafaculty

President Obama is reported to be doing a Jay Leno appearance in Burbank on Wednesday, flying into and out of LAX.  How he will travel between Burbank and LAX is unknown at this point.  A motorcade could produce a traffic mess on the Westside and near UCLA.  Helicopter would avoid it. Details, such as they are at this point, at:http://centurycity.patch.com/articles/obama-visits-l-a-wednesday?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001

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The Other Tax: Prop 39

Byuclafaculty

As the website of the official opposition group to Prop 39 (as of this morning) indicates, there is not much effective opposition.  Go to the group’s Facebook page and you find the same thing.  Prop 39 – as proponents put it – closes a corporate tax loophole that was opened up as part of a tax deal in the legislature in 2009.  It favors out-of-state corporations by giving them a choice of tax computations.  So in-state businesses are not happy with the idea of competitors from out-of-state getting a special deal.  That fact means that elements of the local business…

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Stating the Obvious (on the UCLA Hotel)

Byuclafaculty

But since it was apparently not obvious to the Regents, here is something for them to consider from the Daily Bruin editorial board:===== Daily Bruin Editorial: UC Regents should meet more often, spend more time reviewing projects: Before issuing approval, housing council should take measures to improve diligence (excerpt) By EDITORIAL BOARD The University of California Board of Regents needs to improve its process of approving capital projects on its campuses, especially expensive and controversial ones such as theUCLA Luskin Conference and Guest Center.  Despite the regents’ approval, members of the community still have concerns about the $162 million project. Moreover, the…

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Before and After

Byuclafaculty

Before the Election: Campus Program on Ballot Propositions: Nov. 1 The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment present: Death and Taxes (and other hot topics): Debating the 2012 California Ballot Propositions  with Gray Davis, Luskin Distinguished Policy Fellow, and Cameron Smyth, Luskin Senior Fellow California voters face big decisions on the 2012 ballot initiatives. From tax policy to the death penalty to genetically modified food labeling, a lot is at stake on the ballot. Join us for an educational and informative forum to analyze the initiatives. TIME Thursday, November 1, from 12:15 – 1:45 pm (Note:…

Timely Retirement Investment Info from Wells Fargo

Byuclafaculty

For those making retirement contributions to their 403b and 457b plans – and almost every faculty member at UC should be in that category – below is a chart, courtesy of Wells Fargo, to contemplate: [click on the chart to enlarge] You can interpret it on your own.  The source is: https://www.wellsfargo.com/downloads/pdf/jump/2012_Elections_Report.pdf

Odd Photo

Byuclafaculty

LAObserved has an article about the decision at the LA City Council not to raise the City’s parking tax.  (Screenshot above.)  Nothing odd about an article dealing with that story. What is odd is the photo of a UCLA parking booth used to illustrate the article.  UCLA does not pay LA City’s parking tax. The article is at http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2012/10/now_this_is_interest.php