CSUEU Press Release on Governor's Budget Proposal

Here is the text of the CSUEU press release about Governor Schwarzenegger's budget proposal:

CSUEU Press Release
January 11, 2008

Gov. Schwarzenegger has proposed to cut $312.9 million from the California State University system. This latest blow to the CSU budget follows the half billion dollars cut in 2002. The governor has abandoned the Higher Education Compact. Compensation increases in every CSU union contract are at risk.

If adopted, this budget would force program cutbacks for more than our more than 400,000 students and bar access to 11,000 new students.

The Governor’s budget also assumes at least another 10% student fee increase—the 6th in the last seven years; as well as increased class sizes, and reduced class offerings. California’s students and their families will once again be paying more for less.

Aside from their effect on the university and those it services, these cuts would be a terrible blow to California’s economy. And the governor’s proposed budget fails to address the fundamental flaw in the whole process – the lack of sufficient revenue to provide the services which the people of California need and deserve.

The CSU is an avenue into the middle class for hundreds of thousands of people who can earn more, participate in California’s economy at a higher level and, from the view of state revenues, comprise a larger, stronger tax base.

This is just the beginning of the budget cycle. There are going to be months of legislative hearings before a final deal is cut. We will be working closely with the entire CSU community, and with our allies in the CSEA to protect the mission of CSU. And with members standing up – at their own campuses, and by communicating with their own state legislators – we believe that we can protect our contracts and stop this downward spiral which will, if allowed to continue, destroy the premier higher educational system we have all worked so hard to build.

Links:

• Budget Press Release (CSUEU) [Word format]
• Collection of Budget article links (CSUEU)
• Budget link collection (Unit 9 News)