News

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Taxing Credibility?

Byuclafaculty

As earlier posts on this blog have noted, the administration recently circulated an email containing a statement that commercial business was not going to be possible under the plan to build a hotel/conference center to replace the Faculty Center. The no-commercial rationale was based on the idea that if the University took commercial business, it would have to pay taxes. An article in USA Today published about a year ago, however, profiled UCLA – along with other universities – as competing for commercial business and certainly accepting it: Meeting planners cut back on conventions at pricey hotels (excerpt) USA Today,…

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Did You Know About the Other Conference Center / Restaurant / Hotel Being Built on Campus?

Byuclafaculty

If you had feared that UCLA is really running out of conference space and thus did need a new hotel/conference center on the site of the existing Faculty Center, you might be comforted by the project described below. The material below is taken from the website: http://uclameetings.wordpress.com/tag/ucla/ It describes a building project on the northwest section of the campus – not the Faculty Center location – which will include a restaurant seating 750, a ballroom, and “sleeping rooms” for guests. You can even link to webcams to watch the construction. See the large bold italicized text. ——-UCLA Housing Construction &…

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Governor’s Possible State Budget Deal with GOP Reported to be “Dead”

Byuclafaculty

From “Jerry Brown declares budget talks dead,” Capitol Alert, 3/29/11 Brown did not specify what he would do next… Brown is considering alternative ways to put tax extensions on the ballot, either by a majority in the Legislature or by a ballot initiative. He suggested in his release that he may be skeptical of the majority-vote approach, saying the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority. Full article at http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/03/brown-budget-talks-with-republ.html#ixzz1I2KX8500 If the talks are truly dead, the issue of the November ballot initiatives (see earlier blog posts) arises. One, as noted in prior posts, would impose a 60% cap on public pensions,…

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UCLA History: The Normal School Before Vermont Avenue

Byuclafaculty

If you have been tracking some of the old photos of UCLA on this blog – or just know some UCLA history – you know that UCLA began by taking over the campus of the State Normal School on Vermont Avenue before the move to Westwood. But the State Normal School itself had an earlier history. It was first located on the site of what is now the Central Library of LA City. This photo shows that downtown campus circa 1900. The photo, related photos, and information on this earlier history can be found at http://blogdowntown.com/2011/03/6199-why-doesnt-hope-go-through-las-state-normal

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Official Statement on Faculty Center Demolition and Replacement Raises Interesting Questions

Byuclafaculty

In yesterday’s post on this blog about the proposed hotel/conference center that would replace the Faculty Center, the most recent statement on the project from the administration was included as an update/link. The Center is shown here on the right, back in the day (when budgets were flush). That latest statement is puzzling as it refers to the consultant’s report on the project and yet seems to contradict it. The consultant seemed to assume that there would be outside (non-UCLA) business conducted at the hotel/conference center. The consultant’s report had estimates of taxes to be paid. However, the most recent…

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UCOP & Regents Out of the Loop on Public Pensions: Here is a way to get into the loop

Byuclafaculty

As has been noted on previous blog posts, UC is in danger of letting the pension issue get away from it. The governor has – according to news reports – agreed to a $106,000 cap on public pensions. Legislative Republicans have filed an initiative putting a cap of 60% of final pay on pensions. Both caps clearly apply to new hires and clearly do not apply to those already retired. There is uncertainty about what would be applicable to current employees. The initiative – which is poorly drafted – explicitly covers UC. We don’t know about the possible $106,000 cap…

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Signs of Spring

Byuclafaculty

Spring quarter 2011 has arrived. But the issue of replacing the existing Faculty Center with a large hotel/conference center remains from last spring, when news of the plan was (sort of) made public. You will be seeing flyers such as the one on the right and related yard signs in the neighborhoods around UCLA. As the flyer points out, there is a public meeting at the Faculty Center about this issue on Wednesday, April 6, at 7 PM. Earlier posts on this blog have summarized the issues involved. The most recent development was the strong vote against the project by…

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PART II: UCOP & Regents: Don’t Say You Weren’t Warned

Byuclafaculty

Someone asked yours truly yesterday whether the GOP pension initiative actually covered existing employees as well as new hires. Apparently, there was a report that the Republican legislator in whose name the initiative was submitted had denied it. The article below – as well as the language of the initiative – makes it clear that existing employees are to be included. The article also notes that Gov. Brown is willing to accept a pension cap of $106,000. That is different from the initiative which has a 60% final pay cap. But it is unacceptable for UC faculty and would override…

Don’t Stop Now: UC Merced to start work on building

Byuclafaculty

UC Merced to start work on building Yesenia Amaro, March 24, 2011, Merced Sun-Star University of California at Merced officials say students will soon have more space to exercise and hold meetings… The university recently received approval to move forward with its Recreation Center North project, an estimated 20,000-square-foot recreation building. Jane Lawrence, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the university received an $8.5 million loan from the UC Office of the President to pay for the construction. The university will repay the loan with an existing student fee. No new student fees will be charged. The project consists of…