politics

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Issue Heating Up

Byuclafaculty

We noted in yesterday’s posting (in the update portion) on the Regents public comment session that there were spokespeople complaining about anti-Israel activities on UC campuses including course credit on one campus, pushes for divestment, etc.  Earlier postings noted statements by the UC prez and several chancellors (including Block) opposing an academic boycott of Israel by several academic societies.  Today, the LA Times reports: A group of lawmakers has formed the California Legislative Jewish Caucus to weigh in on issues of priority to members, including immigration, civil rights and Israel, according to its chairman, state Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego)… …

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UC Is Drying Up

Byuclafaculty

You’ve probably heard that Gov. Brown has declared a drought emergency.  So UC is there – Johnny on the spot – with a pledge to save water for the guv: University of California President Janet Napolitano today (Jan. 16) announced a goal of reducing per capita water use by 20 percent throughout the UC system by the year 2020.  As California experiences some of its driest weather on record, Napolitano said the university must step up and contribute to the preservation of the state’s most precious resource.  “The University of California has long been a leader in conservation efforts,” she…

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Demographic Shift

Byuclafaculty

News accounts have focused on this chart in Gov. Brown’s recent budget proposal which shows the Latino/Hispanic state population exceeding the white-Anglo population by July.  That the shift would occur sometime this decade was obvious from the 2010 Census.  A news account indicates that the shift will occur in March.  Clearly, putting an exact date on the shift is not really possible.  But the change will definitely have occurred by the next Census.  (Official state estimates for the California population at the time of the 2010 Census were way off.  So interim estimates between Census years always have a significant…

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New and Old at the UC Regents

Byuclafaculty

The Regents in 1964 1-17-2014 SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments. Richard C. Blum, 78, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents effective March 2, 2014, where he has served since 2002 and was chair from 2007 to 2009. Blum founded Blum Capital Partners L.P. in 1975 and serves as chairman and president. He has been chairman of the CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. Board of Directors since 2001. Blum has been a member of the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business Advisory Board since…

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Someone may want to see what you are doing

Byuclafaculty

Faculty should have received the email from Chancellor Block below regarding public documents requests for such things as emails.  The statement is good.  The two links provided are also useful.  But when you get through reading them, you should still regard virtually anything you email or write as potentially a public document.  Yes, various exemptions exist.  But there are gray areas.  In addition, an email you sent to someone else at another public institution – maybe in another state – might be made public there.  Even if you deleted it, the recipient may have it.  That is the reality.============ Dear…

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Neutral

Byuclafaculty

Proponents of the  proposed pension/retiree health care initiative (that would cover UC) were afraid the attorney general would come up with a nasty title and summary.  It doesn’t seem to have happened, however.  Other than the references to teachers, nurses, and peace officers (the public’s favorite public employees), it is pretty neutral.  To the extent there is mention of costs, the references come from the earlier Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) report.  Below is the title and summary: January 6, 2014 Initiative 13-0043 The Attorney General of California has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points…

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Q&A

Byuclafaculty

The Contra Costa Times ran an interview with UC president Napolitano that was published yesterday.  But apparently the interview occurred in late 2013.  Here are the questions:Q: One of your first proposals was to make tuition rates more predictable. What might that look like? Q: At the last UC regents meeting, Gov. Jerry Brown said UC had slim chances of securing additional state funding, with all of the competing needs in Sacramento. What did you make of that? Q: Were you surprised by the low graduation rates for some student-athletes at Cal? (UC Berkeley’s football team had the lowest graduation…

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Follow Me, Says Crane

Byuclafaculty

We have previously reported on a proposed ballot initiative on public pensions in California that, as written, would cover UC.  There appears to be money behind the campaign for this initiative.  Another indication of such money comes in the form of a letter by former UC Regent David Crane on CalSTRS.  Crane was appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger but the appointment was not endorsed by the state senate and thus ended.  In any event, the letter from Crane addressed to Gov. Brown – which his website says in today’s Sacramento Bee – seems to be part of the larger campaign for…

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The First (and Only?) Budget Leak

Byuclafaculty

Only a few days ago, we noted that it is traditional that as the date of the official unveiling of the governor’s budget proposal approaches, bits of it are leaked out.  We noted that as of that time, there hadn’t been any leaks, so maybe we would depart from tradition.  But now we have a leak.  The governor wants a ballot proposition mandating a rainy day fund.  From the LA Times: Gov. Jerry Brown will join the push for a new ballot measure to help California stockpile cash as a buffer against future recessions, according to two Capitol officials. The…

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Upcoming Events in January

Byuclafaculty

Under the state constitution, Governor Brown will release his budget proposal for 2014-15 at the end of next week.  In the past, bits and pieces were often leaked to the news media ahead of the formal announcement.  So far, that hasn’t happened – which might just mean that with the current budgetary calm, there is nothing shocking to leak, including about the UC budget.  There will also be a “state of the state” address to the legislature by the governor which will touch on whatever the governor has in mind – who knows? – in this election year. The UC…