State Budget

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Numbers Game Mainly Over for November Ballot Propositions

Byuclafaculty

The legislature and Governor Brown succeeded in getting the governor’s tax initiative at the top of the ballot (as Prop 30).  There is still some litigation on the numbering issue going on but below is the likely listing you will see in November: Prop 30 – Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax increase planProp 31 – State budget process changesProp 32 – Ban on payroll deductions for political contributions; ban on contributions to candidates from unions and corporationsProp 33 – Auto insurance rates based on driver’s history of coverageProp 34 – Death penalty repealProp 35 – Increased penalties for human traffickingProp 36…

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Will the UCLA Hotel Pass the Sniff Test in November?

Byuclafaculty

We noted in a blog posting yesterday that the UCLA proposal for a 250-room hotel/conference center is back on the Regents’ July agenda.  Also on the agenda is discussion of the recently-enacted state budget and the governor’s November tax initiative.  The Regents are likely to endorse the ballot initiative which, as prior posts have noted, is not polling as well as it should at this stage. So an interesting question for the Regents is whether the hotel passes the sniff test for wise spending of UC (and UCLA) resources.  Given all the fiscal difficulties UC has faced in recent years,…

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A Guide for the Perplexed Voter

Byuclafaculty

If you are wondering what statewide ballot propositions will be on the ballot in November, here is the complete list (below).  The numbering and ordering of the propositions has yet to occur.  The legislature passed a bill that would put the governor’s tax initiative as the first one.  That action is currently being litigated by Molly Munger, wealthy sponsor of a rival tax initiative.  The legislature removed a water bond from the November ballot that would otherwise have appeared.  In some cases below, yours truly has added some editorial comments in italics.  Text below is from the California Secretary of…

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Poll Shows Narrow (Maybe Too Narrow) Support for Governor’s Tax Initiative

Byuclafaculty

Above is an excerpt from a Field Poll released today that indicates 54% support for the governor’s tax initiative.  The Munger initiative (a different tax increase for schools) and the Steyer tax initiative (close corporate loophole) are losing.  Although 54% is sufficient to pass an initiative, the campaign pro and con has yet to begin.  Folk wisdom is that a controversial initiative should start with at least 60% support since some support will erode as the anti-initiative campaign develops.  So 54% at this time may not be enough in November.  If the initiative doesn’t pass, there will be trigger cuts…

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Prop 13 Challenge by Former Chancellor UCLA Charles Young

Byuclafaculty

Most readers of this blog will know that Proposition 13, an initiative sponsored by Howard Jarvis (shown in the picture on the cover of Time) and Paul Gann, drastically cut local property taxes in 1978.  However, another feature of Prop 13 was adding a requirement that taxes could not be raised without a 2/3 vote of the legislature.  The 2/3 tax provision of Prop 13 was added to the Depression-era requirement for a 2/3 vote for the budget itself.   Voters in 2010 removed the 2/3 for budgets but not the 2/3 for taxes.  Indeed, they strengthened the 2/3 for…

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A Happy Fella

Byuclafaculty

In a June 29 report to the Regents, President Yudof recounts the impact of the new state budget on UC and notes other issues still pending at the legislature.  Presumably, all of these developments will be reviewed at the upcoming Regents meeting later this month. [Thanks to David Lopez for passing it along.] The Yudof report praises our friend in Sacramento (governor+legislator) for fiscal beneficence.  When you consider that we froze (or the Regents are about to freeze) tuition today for a promise of $125 million in next year’s budget, you might think the praise is a bit effusive.  You…

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Yudof on Tuition Freeze: We will find a way

Byuclafaculty

Statement on UC funding in budget legislation signed by Gov. Brown by Mark G. Yudof on Thursday, June 28, 2012 The budget legislation signed by the Governor is a significant step toward bringing stability to public higher education funding in California. Based on the incentives in this budget package, I intend to recommend to the Board of Regents that our current tuition levels remain in place for the upcoming year. As always, it is up to the regents to decide the matter. We would have preferred that state funds for a tuition buy-out begin with the coming budget year of…

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The New State Budget While in Transit

Byuclafaculty

Yours truly is currently in transit (traveling) through July 5 – hence, the transit picture at right.  Thus, I can only give the newly-signed state budget cursory attention.  As far as UC is concerned, however, there is no new news relative to prior posts on this blog.  If voters don’t pass the governor’s tax initiative in November, there will be trigger cuts with UC losing $250 million.  As noted in prior posts, UC tuition is frozen for the time being thanks to an added $125 million from the legislature. Below is a table from the official budget documentation.  In the…

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When It Comes to November Ballot Initiatives, the More the Merrier

Byuclafaculty

Yet another initiative has qualified for the crowded November ballot.  This one is a do-good budget reform with various features including a move to two-year budgets rather than one-year.  California had two-year budgets back in Great Depression times.  No miracles resulted from budgets based on the Earth cycling around the Sun twice rather than once back then.  It is odd to think that such miracles will occur now.  Budgets are based on forecasts of revenues and to some extent on spending. When the January budget proposal is made, the governor forecasts a period ranging from 6 to 18 months ahead.  With…