UC Regents

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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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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….

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They may not play nice

Byuclafaculty

Competition from rival tax measures on the ballot may sink the governor’s Prop 30 which the Regents have endorsed.  In particular, there is concern about Prop 38 – the Munger tax for schools.  Excerpt today from an LA Times blog: …Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer sent a letter to the head of the California State PTA, the sponsor of Proposition 38, imploring them to stop what they call “personal attacks against Gov. Jerry Brown” that they fear could sink the governor’s tax measure, Proposition 30. Proposition 38, which has been financed by wealthy Pasadena attorney Molly Munger, seeks to…

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Prop 30 Campaign Officially Starts

Byuclafaculty

Governor Brown kicked off the official campaign for his tax initiative – Prop 30 – which, as readers of this blog will know – was endorsed by the Regents. Early polling has shown a bare majority of voters favor it (and the other two tax initiatives on the November ballot are polling poorly).  It is unclear how much funding the opposition to Prop 30 will be able to raise for a negative campaign.  However, Prop 38 – the “Munger tax” initiative which is focused on schools – does have money behind it and its campaign will push the argument that…

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Talk to the Legislature

Byuclafaculty

If UCOP wants to keep its Regents-enacted pension system modifications from being overridden by some statewide legislative action, it will have to talk with the legislative leaders – very, very soon it appears – and not just the governor.  From the San Jose Mercury-News: Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said Monday that legislative Democrats will deliver on “comprehensive” pension reform over the next four weeks, even if their labor allies don’t like it. “Will it cause some discomfort and unhappiness? Yes. Do you sometimes disagree with your allies and friends to do what you think is the right thing?…

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Money Race

Byuclafaculty

To recap prior posts: There are 3 tax initiatives on the ballot.  The governor’s tax initiative has been endorsed by the Regents.  Then there is the Molly Munger school tax and a close-corporate-loophole tax.  Politico wisdom is that having multiple initiatives on the same general subject is confusing and may lead to defeat of all.  The Munger and loophole initiatives have not polled well.  The governor’s initiative is polling marginally ahead but could easily be defeated which would produce trigger cuts midyear including to UC. News reports are that various unions have been contributing to the governor’s tax campaign although some…

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Taxes, Taxes: News on the Tax Front

Byuclafaculty

The Sacramento Bee today is reporting various news on the tax front.  As readers of this blog will know, there are three tax measures on the ballot: the governor’s plan which the Regents recently endorsed, the Molly Munger school tax (Prop 38), and a close-corporate loophole tax (Prop 39). Folk wisdom has it that where there are too many measures on the same subject, voters may reject all of them in confusion. In part to overcome that confusion, the legislature passed a bill that effectively put the governor’s plan as the first initiative on the ballot (Prop 30). In order…

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Has the Worm Turned in the UCLA Lab Fire Trial?

Byuclafaculty

From the LA Times: (excerpt) Criminal proceedings against UCLA chemistry professor Patrick Harran took a bizarre turn Thursday when the defense alleged in court papers that the state’s chief investigator in the accidental death of a lab worker committed murder as a teenager in 1985. The investigator, Brian Baudendistel, denied it…Baudendistel, a senior special investigator for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, was instrumental in building the criminal case against Harran and UCLA with a 95-page report that blamed both in the death of 23-year-old Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji. She suffered fatal burns when a experiment burst into flames in…

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Official Description of Governor’s Tax Initiative from the LAO

Byuclafaculty

As readers of this blog will know, the Regents have endorsed Prop 30, the governor’s tax initiative to be on the ballot Nov. 6, 2012.  Below is the official description from the Legislative Analyst’s Office that will be seen by voters. ========= Proposition 30 Temporary Taxes to Fund Education. Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact Fiscal Impact: Increased state tax revenues through 2018-19, averaging about $6 billion annually over the next few years. Revenues available for funding state budget. In 2012-13, planned spending reductions, primarily to…