The California Faculty Association released the following statement in response to the Governor's budget proposal. The statement can attributed to CFA President Lillian Taiz, a professor of History at Cal State Los Angeles.

We agree with the governor, that any effort to put the state’s fiscal house in order must include new revenue. We welcome all serious efforts finally to address our state’s problems by restoring revenue; as a state we must pay for the public institutions and programs that make California great.

While the budget proposal released by the Governor Thursday appears to contain no immediate cuts to the California State University, the proposal includes new shifts in costs that will ultimately create a bigger hole in the public university’s already stressed budget.

After years of persistent funding cuts, and measures taken by the university’s management that focus the cuts on classes and students, we are running out of options.

If this budget comes to fruition, an entire generation of CSU Students will be forced to bear the burden of our state’s continued disinvestment in public higher education.

The plan released yesterday is just the opening salvo in the state budget process. We look forward to working with the Assembly Speaker, Senate Pro Tem and members of the legislature over the coming months to ensure the needed financial support to keep our institutions public university affordable and accessible while providing the quality higher education that has made our state great.

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