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The President of the University of California and the Chancellor of the California Community College system have resigned in protest from the California Chamber of Commerce board of directors after the organization backed Meg Whitman’s bid for governor.
Which raises the question: what about the CSU’s Chancellor Charles Reed?
Jack Scott, a former Democratic state senator from Pasadena who was appointed CCC chancellor by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced his resignation in a letter to chamber President Allan Zaremberg after the endorsement vote Friday.
“Although it would have been my preference to remain on the board, in light of the Chamber’s action today to engage in electioneering, remaining on the board is no longer possible,” Scott wrote in the letter.
UC President Mark G. Yudof also suspended his membership last week in anticipation of the vote.
“As the president of a public university, I cannot take sides in electoral politics,” Yudof wrote in a letter to the head of the Chamber. “I must preserve my politically agnostic status.”
Chancellor Reed, who also sits on the chamber board, has yet to take action or release a statement regarding the Chamber’s endorsement.
California is now 70 days into the fiscal year and remains without a state budget — the second longest delay in state history.
The longest delay came in 2008 when the Legislature acted on September 19 and the governor signed the budget on September 23. This year’s budget vote appears to be in the running for the top spot.
Late last week, Democratic leaders Darrell Steinberg and John Pérez rolled out a revised version of their plan to raise state revenues without a net tax increase to any income group.
The revised plan still focuses on increasing the income tax and vehicle license fee, while reducing the state sales tax.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and fellow Republicans balked at the plan and continue to push a proposal that would slash spending and scrap many safety-net programs.
CFA will continue to monitor activity in the Capitol and will report developments to faculty and CSU supporters as they occur.
Momentum continues to grow for the passage of Senate Bill 330: Transparency in public higher ed auxiliaries.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times published an editorial urging the governor to sign the bill into law.
The Times wrote that keeping campus auxiliaries outside the purview of the California Public Records Act (CPRA) has “fostered secrecy, which in turn has bred abuse. Thankfully, the Legislature has passed a bill to correct it, and the governor now has the opportunity to sign it. He should.”
SB 330 will bring greater transparency and accountability to the ways in which fees, revenues from campus businesses and private donations are used at the California State University, University of California and California Community Colleges by placing the institutions’ subsidiary organizations – known as “auxiliaries” – under the scope of the CPRA without creating new state costs.
You too, can take action encouraging the governor to sign this important CSU transparency legislation.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference last Wednesday to reiterate that he will not sign a state budget agreement unless it includes provisions for overhauling the state’s public pension system.
The governor told reporters he wants public pensions rolled back to 1999 levels and is willing to wait “as long as necessary” for a budget deal that “enacts pension reform.”
CFA’s political staff continues to monitor the latest developments on this matter and will keep faculty apprised of any possible threats to our hard-fought benefits.
Spurred by the collapse of Wall Street and an angry public mood, Republican and some Democratic leaders are focusing with increasing intensity on public workers’ pensions, using the benefits paid to public employees as a scapegoat and obstacle to closing the state budget gap.
This scapegoating has prompted six unions representing roughly 37,000 employees to accept contracts recently that included lower pension benefits for new hires and increases in what employees pay toward their retirement savings. The deals also include some future raises and job protections.
These deals represent a big win for the governor and a stark concession for the unions that could reverberate at the bargaining table for 16 other state employee unions currently working without contracts.
Meanwhile, the University of California, facing an estimated $20-billion deficit in its retirement plan, released a proposal last week to reduce the amount it spends on employee benefits.
The proposed changes at the UC would reduce benefits for new employees starting in 2013, raise the minimum retirement age from 50 to 55, shift some health-care costs to employees, and sharply increase employer and employee contributions to the system’s struggling pension plan.
To date, no such pension roll backs have been proposed for CSU faculty members by either the CSU Chancellor’s Office or Governor’s Office.
Given the ongoing debate about pensions and retirement benefits for state employees, it is critical that the faculty have a voice on the CalPERS Board of Administration.
That is why CFA has endorsed George Diehr for the CalPERS Board.
Diehr is a CFA activist and faculty member at CSU San Marcos and is seeking reelection to his third term on the CalPERS Board. Diehr is currently Vice-President of the CalPERS Board.
The CalPERS Board sets policy and oversees the administration of retirement and health benefits as well as the investment of Fund assets.
Watch your home mail for the CalPERS ballot in early this month. Please return your ballot promptly.
