News

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Tax Leak

Byuclafaculty

Over the weekend, a group going by the name “Think Long” started leaking plans to put something on the ballot in 2012 that would revamp the California tax system and raise more funding. It is funded by billionaires so getting the signatures (typically at a cost of $1-$2 million) won’t be a problem. Even a big campaign for the votes – tens of millions can be involved especially for TV advertising – can be handled. Example of the leak/preview from the LA Times: Joining the battle over California taxes, a group of billionaires and political insiders say they will place…

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Yudof on Berkeley and Davis Incidents

Byuclafaculty

Note: See prior blog entries on the “Occupy” incidents at Davis and Berkeley. Links at bottom of this posting. President Yudof responds to campus protest issues Contact: UC Office of the PresidentPhone: (510) 987-9157 University of California President Mark G. Yudof today (Nov. 20) announced the actions he is taking in response to recent campus protest issues: I am appalled by images of University of California students being doused with pepper spray and jabbed with police batons on our campuses. I intend to do everything in my power as president of this university to protect the rights of our students,…

UC-Davis Pepper Spray Controversy

Byuclafaculty

A major controversy has erupted over a pepper spray incident at UC-Davis when campus police attempted to move a group of “Occupy” demonstrators. From today’s Sacramento Bee: UC Davis officials found themselves under a barrage of Internet-driven outrage Saturday, after campus police officers pepper-sprayed protesters at an Occupy UC Davis encampment Friday. Saturday evening, after holding a news conference to address intense nationwide media interest, UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi walked through a blocks-long gantlet of students, who stood silently as she passed to a waiting SUV… Full story at: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/20/4067841/ucd-peppered-by-net-outrage.html {Note: The Bee webpage was having a heart…

CPEC Officially Closed Yesterday

Byuclafaculty

The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) officially closed yesterday after being line-item vetoed from this year’s budget by the governor. Below is the final press release and the “About Us” segment of the CPEC website for some historical background. California Postsecondary Education Commission to close doors on November 18 SACRAMENTO — November 14, 2011 — The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC), the state’s independent agency for higher education policy planning, research and analysis, will close its doors on Friday, November 18, 2011. The Commission’s funding for 2011-12 was eliminated by Governor Brown in a line item budget veto on June…

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Regent Crane Leaves an Unhelpful Message

Byuclafaculty

Departing Regent David Crane, a last-minute appointment to the Board of Regents by Governor Schwarzenegger, would have had his last Regents meeting in November, since he could not get legislative confirmation. But the Regents’ meeting was canceled due to a fear of Occupy-type demonstrations. However, Crane has left behind a missive of sorts – a press release on state budget and pension matters in which he a) endorses the pension proposals by Governor Brown and b) wants to take those proposals further. No reference to the changes already adopted by the Regents for UC is made in the release. No…

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UC-Davis Hotel Expansion Proposal: Cautionary Lessons for UCLA

Byuclafaculty

Yours truly has obtained some documents related to the proposed expansion of a campus hotel at UC-Davis. The documents are more complete than what we currently have for the revised UCLA proposal and include a consultant’s market competition study. You can access these documents by scrolling down in this blog entry. The consultant hired by UC-Davis, as might be expected, indicated that Davis-area commercial hotels would not be adversely affected by competition from the campus project. However, the City of Davis seems to disagree and worries about the loss of room tax revenue diverted from the commercial hotels and about…

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Yudof Issues Statement on Events at UC-Berkeley

Byuclafaculty

Statement on student protests (11-16-11) I am proud of UC students who are speaking out with passion and conviction in support of public higher education across the state. I was moved last night by the sight of thousands of students who peacefully demonstrated in UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza, and by those who traveled to Sacramento to protest state disinvestment in our colleges and universities. Free speech is in the DNA of the University of California, and public protest is an important part of our history. Free speech is often contentious, as is democracy. I want all of our students to…

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PPIC Poll on Public Higher Ed in California

Byuclafaculty

The charts above come from a poll taken by the Public Policy Institute of California available at: http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_1111MBS.pdf [Click on the table above to enlarge it or go to the report itself.] You can interpret the charts as you like. As the saying goes, an optimist is someone who thinks we are in the best of all possible worlds – and a pessimist is also someone who thinks we are in the best of all possible worlds.

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LAOmission

Byuclafaculty

Our previous post deals with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) report on the state budget. Quote from page 41 of the report: “…because the state is not required under current law to contribute additional funds to UC to address its unfunded pension and retiree health liabilities, the forecast assumes no General Fund resources to assist UC for these purposes.”

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It Sure Looks Like the Trigger Is Going to be Pulled

Byuclafaculty

There is an advance report from the Sacramento Bee that the Legislative Analyst later today will be announcing that projections of revenue will fall sufficiently short of assumptions to fire the budget trigger – which further chops the UC budget this year. By itself, just the LAO projection does not fire the trigger but it is part of the mechanism. The LAO report is not yet posted. From the Bee: California would impose $2 billion in mid-year “trigger” cuts next month, mostly through K-12 school reductions, under a new revenue forecast issued this morning by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office……