News

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Ballot Proposition Forum Nov. 1

Byuclafaculty

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: An earlier version…

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Campus Climate Survey is Coming

Byuclafaculty

Some readers may remember that after a series of incidents aimed at minority students on various campuses, including UCLA, the UC president was pressed by the Regents to “do something.” (Some readers will recall the “Asians in the library” incident at UCLA.)  What emerged was an elaborate all-campus survey of “campus climate.” In late December and early January, it will be coming to UCLA. There have been reservations raised about the participation rate and biases in participation caused by what appears to be a rather lengthy survey. The campus faculty welfare committee at UCLA, for example, raised such issues.  Apparently,…

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Gov. Brown’s Prop 30 Tax Below 50% in Two Major Polls

Byuclafaculty

Above are the results from the PPIC poll.  Both Prop 30 (Brown’s tax) and Prop 38 (Molly Munger school tax) are below 50%.  The Munger tax has been a loser all along but Prop 30 had been marginally ahead in prior polling.  More detail from the PPIC poll are below: Source: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_1012MBS.pdf The LA Times-USC poll shows similar results: You can see that poll in detail at: http://www.gqrr.com/images/stories/latusc.fq.102512.pdf If Prop 30 fails, trigger cuts are built into the current state budget.  UC would have a $250 million cut.  Tuition would likely be raised.  In theory, the legislature could repeal the trigger…

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Important Event on Campus Nov. 7: Forum on the Future Funding of UC

Byuclafaculty

BECAUSE THE FUTURE AWAITS, The Faculty Assn. at UCLA presents…. SPEAKERS’ FORUM ON ALTERNATIVE FUNDING MODELS FOR UC DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012TIME: Noon-1:30 pm LOCATION: Faculty Center, California RoomLUNCH: Complimentary Sandwiches and Beverages will be served.RSVP: ucfa@earthlink.net so we can get an accurate food count.  (Cut and paste this address into your email.  You can’t do it from here.)APRIL 1982: ANCIENT CALIFORNIA HISTORY “The interconnected complications surrounding the upcoming state budget for 1982-83 defy comprehension by most state legislators let alone the public at large… Governor Jerry Brown is projecting a $3 to $4 Billion shortfall in revenues for 1982-83. This is against the…

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…