State Budget

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Prop 30 Passes So No Trigger Cuts for UC

Byuclafaculty

Above are the ballot proposition results as of around 5 AM this morning from the California Secretary of State with about 95% of the results.  [Click image to enlarge.]  Prop 30, the governor’s tax initiative endorsed by the Regents, has passed.  Prop 39, the corporate loophole tax, which also adds some money into the general fund despite its earmark for “green” projects, also has passed.  The Munger school tax (Prop 38), which was seen as a rival to the governor’s tax, did very poorly as polls predicted. With the passage of Prop 30, the budget trigger – that would have…

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Particularly on Election Day, it’s hard to know what tomorrow will bring…

Byuclafaculty

But one thing it will definitely bring is our forum on the future of UC and its funding, as the notice below explains:=============================== 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…

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Times are changing and so is the outlook for UC’s future funding. Attend the Nov. 7 Forum!

Byuclafaculty

UCLA in 1939   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 Governor’s $2.1 Billion estimate in his January…

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Don’t worry if you forgot to reset your clock. You’ll just be an hour early to our program on Wednesday!

Byuclafaculty

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 Governor’s $2.1 Billion estimate in his January proposed budget…It would be…

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UCLA Luskin School Ballot Proposition Forum: 11-1-2012 (audio)

Byuclafaculty

Today’s forum at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs featured a discussion of the November 2012 California ballot propositions including those dealing with taxes and the state budget.  You can hear the audio of the discussion at the link below.  Guest speakers were Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, second-highest ranking Republican in the state assembly, and former Democratic Governor Gray Davis. The full program runs about one and a quarter hours:

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Another poll shows the slide of Prop 30

Byuclafaculty

The California Field Poll shows the slide below 50%. Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative that has been endorsed by the Regents – had been marginally above 50% until recently.  It could still pass since the undecided voters have to vote yes or no and if most vote yes, it will have a majority.  Nonetheless, the position of Prop 30 is precarious. As readers of this blog will know, the revenue estimated to be produced by Prop 30 is built into the current fiscal year state budget.  Trigger cuts are also built into the budget if it fails, including…

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Repeal of Trigger if Prop 30 Fails: Don’t Count on It

Byuclafaculty

Various reports are floating around in the newspapers today about plans in the legislature to kill the trigger cuts that are part of the current budget and that will occur if Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative – initiative.  Included in the trigger is a cut of $250 million for UC.   Don’t count on it!  In theory, anything can be changed in the budget.  In theory, the governor could go along with voiding the trigger and not veto such a measure.  In theory, the legislature could come up with a two-thirds vote to override such a veto, if it…

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Anti-Prop 30 Group May Have to Cough Up Information

Byuclafaculty

A conservative Arizona political group is likely going to have to turn over confidential documents about its donors, under a tentative ruling issued late Tuesday by a Sacramento judge.  At issue is the $11 million contribution by Americans for Responsible Leadership to a California political action committee trying to help pass Proposition 32 (paycheck protection) and kill Proposition 30 (Gov. Brown’s tax initiative).  State officials have called the cash “the largest known anonymous donation in the history of California politics,” and want to audit the group’s books to see whether the identities of the donors must be made public.  The…

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The Third Tax Proposition (39)

Byuclafaculty

You have seen TV ads for Prop 39, the “Steyer” initiative that closes a loophole in the corporate profits tax that emerged from a 2009 budget deal and earmarks a chunk of the money raised for green energy projects.  But you haven’t seen any TV ads against Prop 39 because there has not been much of a campaign against it.  Part of the reason is that important elements of the local business community that feel the loophole gives competitors an advantage and thus favor Prop 39.  Those parts of the business community that oppose 39 have not chosen to fund…

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Poll Close to Home

Byuclafaculty

The Daily Bruin has an article on student knowledge about Prop 30 indicating that a majority were not familiar with the initiative.  Prop 30 – the governor’s tax initiative – has been endorsed by the UC Regents.  If it doesn’t pass, there will be trigger cuts to the state budget including $250 million to UC.  Note that the poll was done in late September and early October.  Presumably, the level of awareness has risen, particularly after the visit of Governor Brown to the campus on behalf of Prop 30. However, as yours truly notes in a quote in the article,…