• On Jan. 9, Gov. Jerry Brown released his proposal for the 2015-2016 state budget, which allocates billions of dollars more to schools and health-care coverage, attempts to hold college tuition flat, and invests in water projects. “This carefully balanced budget builds for the future by saving money, paying down debt, and investing in our state’s core needs,” Brown said in a press release. “Our long-term fiscal health depends on the wise and prudent actions we take today.” The proposed budget includes the first $532 million in expenditures from the recently passed Proposition 1 water bond, an increase in funding levels for K through 12 schools by more than $2,600 per student over 2011-2012 levels, and a commitment of $762 million to each of the state’s university systems. For a full summary of the proposal, check out ebudget.ca.gov. Before the end of 2014, the UC Board of Regents voted to tentatively increase tuition for UC students by 25 percent starting in 2016. UC President Janet Napolitano said the only thing that could prevent the tuition hike was the UC system receiving more money from the state. In the press release, Brown said that the money allocated to the university systems should hold tuition flat for students. Napolitano disagrees with Brown’s assessment. In a statement on the Sacramento Bee’s website, Napolitano said “While we are disappointed the governor did not include sufficient revenue to expand enrollment of California students and reinvest in academic quality at the university, we are hopeful that continued discussions with the governor and the legislature will yield a budget that maintains the access, affordability, and excellence for which the University of California is renowned.” According to a press release from AFSCME 3299, a UC employee union representing more than 22,000 service and patient care technical worker’s, Brown’s proposal would make for a $120 million increase in state funding for the UC system, $100 million shy of what was requested to prevent the hike. The union’s president, Kathryn Lybarger, said in the release that the proposal is the “beginning of a long overdue conversation about the future of California’s public colleges and universities.”
• The Santa Barbara County Association of Governments would like to hear what new bus routes or service schedules are needed in North Santa Barbara County to get local residents where they need to go. An unmet transit needs public hearing will be held on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. in order for local government leaders to hear from community members on ways to improve local and regional community bus service. The hearing will take place in the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria. Residents who can’t attend the meeting can contact the county Association of Governments at 961-8900 or email to comment@sbcag.org to get their comments on the record.
This article appears in Jan 15-22, 2015.