governor

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What’s Happening on the State Budget and Prop 30 to Date?

Byuclafaculty

The state controller reports that tax revenue for July and August (first two months of the fiscal year) is about on target relative to the June budget estimates (although the amount collected on particular taxes from various targets deviates from the estimates, plus and minus).  Disbursements, however, are up relative to budget estimates by roughly $3 billion which shows up as more borrowing by the general fund from other state funds.  (Why that overage occurred is not explained.) However, the big uncertainty about the budget this year is whether the governor’s tax initiative passes in November.  So far, the media…

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Service With a Smile? UC is Encouraged; CSU is Mandated

Byuclafaculty

It may seem self-evident, but it’s nevertheless a matter of state law that teaching is an “essential responsibility,” along with research, for members of the University of California’s faculty and “a primary responsibility” for those in the California State University system…  But if Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill that whipped through both houses of the Legislature in the final, hectic hours of the 2012 session, that will change – radically, perhaps. A third element would be required in the hiring and promotion of faculty members. It’s called “service.” The specifics of Assembly Bill 2132 appear to give great weight…

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No “Ramp Jam” at Wilshire/Pension Deal Excluding UC Goes to Brown

Byuclafaculty

Commuters to UCLA will know that the Wilshire ramps to the I-405 have been closed for construction. That project was termed “Ramp Jam” but apparently the jam is gone.  At least some of the causes for traffic jams near UCLA as a result of the construction on the 405 are ending:=== The westbound Wilshire Boulevard onramp to the northbound 405 Freeway and the northbound 405’s offramp to westbound Wilshire will reopen Friday—three weeks earlier than planned, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The ramps were closed June 22 in the first phase of a yearlong effort to demolish…

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Issue ads may quack like ducks…

Byuclafaculty

…but technically, they are not ducks.  We have noted in earlier posts on this blog that a) Governor Brown seems to have a big campaign funding advantage for his tax initiative – Prop 30, but that b) “issue ads” that are not technically part of the campaign against Prop 30 have been airing on the radio.  Apparently, a new TV ad is airing sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which can be inferred to suggest voting against tax increases, but doesn’t mention Prop 30 (or the other two tax propositions on the ballot). Exactly why the U.S. Chamber is…

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More Sausage, Sacramento Style

Byuclafaculty

A couple of days ago, we provided some insights into the sausage making of a bill in the legislature that would lower tuition with revenue from closing a corporate tax loophole. Today’s LA Times carries an interesting article on the sausage making process behind the governor’s tax initiative on the November ballot, the initiative the Regents have endorsed. Basically, the article looks at the sources of funding for the campaign.  The theme is that various large firms in industries that might be hit by proposals for specific taxes (such as oil, liquor, and soft drinks) if the initiative doesn’t pass…

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And Yet Another Bill for the Governor to Sign (or Not)

Byuclafaculty

We have been reporting on bills related to UC that have been sent to Governor Brown for his signature or veto.  Here is another:=== A bill approved by the state Senate would give University of California and California State University research assistants the right to collective bargaining…  It would affect 14,000 research assistants in the UC system and about 2,000 at CSU schools. …Gov. Jerry Brown has until the end of September to act on the bill. Full story at http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/23/4752473/uc-csu-research-assistants-would.html Will Brown sign?  Here is what proponents say: Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/23/4752473/uc-csu-research-assistants-would.html#storylink=cpy

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Before we get all-a-twitter about this issue, maybe the question for the governor is whether there is a problem

Byuclafaculty

Another bill related to higher ed seems to be going to Governor Brown’s desk.  Not clear that section 2(a) is compatible with 2(c). The bill apparently was triggered by reports that some employers were requiring job applicants to hand over their Facebook, Twitter, etc., passwords. But this bill, unlike another in the legislature, refers to universities, not employers. Is it really addressing a known problem?  Even if it is, maybe the governor needs to send this one back for more work; blanket prohibitions can lead to unforeseen difficulties down the road.Last year, Brown vetoed an unrelated bill saying “not every…

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Will He Sign It?

Byuclafaculty

State lawmakers have approved first-in-the-nation legislation requiring California universities with the most high-profile sports programs to provide financial protections for student athletes who suffer career-ending injuries…SB1525 would apply to universities that receive more than $10 million annually in sports media revenue. The bill by Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat from Los Angeles, would apply this year to the University of Southern California, UCLA, Berkeley and Stanford University…Full article at http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/22/4749123/bill-would-help-injured-student.html

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Money Race on Governor’s Initiative

Byuclafaculty

In a posting yesterday, we noted that the opponents of the governor’s tax initiative (Prop 30) have begun campaigning with radio “issue” ads. It appears, however, that in the race to raise money for the election campaign, a lot more has been raised to support the initiative than to oppose it.  There were concerns that the “paycheck protection” initiative (Prop 32) – which also is on the ballot in November – would divert union funds away from from the governor’s campaign.  (Prop 32 would ban union payroll dues deductions from being used for political purposes.)  Indeed, much funding has gone…

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Is Catch-Up the Strategy on the Tax Initiative?

Byuclafaculty

The opponents of the governor’s tax initiative are already on the radio advertising.  Although the governor’s campaign for his tax initiative is in principle in motion, the media advertising has yet to begin.  As readers of this blog will know, the Regents have endorsed the governor’s initiative. When Jerry Brown ran for governor in 2010, he also was slow to get going against Meg Whitman.  However, he did win with a concentrated blitz toward the end.  Possibly, that is the strategy now.  It is unclear how much funding opponents will have for full-fledged media campaign as the November election nears….