a campaign of The Coalition for a Strong UC
California’s broken system of
government hurts the UC
system. We’re here to tell you
why, and how you can fix it.
The time has come to
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IS THE
GREATEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN THE WORLD
THE UC SYSTEM DRIVING CA’s ECONOMY
220,000 students & 170,000 UCLA: For each dollar of taxpayer
faculty and staff investment, UCLA generates
almost $15 in economic
1.5 million alumni globally
activity (a $9.3-billion economic
10 campuses impact on LA).
Five medical centers UCSB: Faculty/students have
started about 100 high-tech
Three US Dep’t of Energy labs
companies.
UC faculty/graduates founded
Produces 7% of the nation's 1 in 4 biotech firms in CA (and
Ph.D.s 1 in 6 nationwide)
57 Nobel Prizes; 24 prizes 85% of CA biotech companies
since 1995 employ scientists and engineers
with advanced degrees from UC
The top university recipient of
in key R&D positions
US patents every year
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BUT THE UC IS IN CRISIS
REDUCED SERVICES AND HIGHER TUITION
2008-2009 Act. 2009-2010 Est.
Instructional Budget $56.4M $139.2M
Layoffs, Cuts Stifling Recruitment: Reductions
Increasing difficulty attracting top Employee Layoffs 884 1,006
professors, administrators, and Positions Eliminated 1,951 1,919
students will hurt UC long-term.
Deferred Hiring 633 951
In 2009-10, admitted freshman reduced by
2,300. Same number to be eliminated next year.
Fewer students get a UC
education: The first to go: students from low-income
families.
Cost of Education:
Since 2001, undergrad fees have
doubled and grad fees increased
145%. UC is more expensive than
peer public universities.
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Sources: UCSA 2009 Affordability Report, UC Budget and Capital Resources Nov. 2009
CALIFORNIANS ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION
Polling Suggests Californians Understand the
Negative Impact of the UC Crisis
Tuition Fewer Fewer Classes Salary
Increases Admissions Reductions
Very Concerned 62% 57% 57% 48%
Somewhat 27% 29% 29% 32%
Concerned
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Source: PPIC November 2009 Opinion Poll “Californians & Higher Education”
BUT THEY WON’T PAY FOR IT
CALIFORNIANS UNWILLING TO PAY MORE TAXES
FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Willing to Pay More Taxes for Public Colleges & Universities?
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Source: PPIC November 2009 Opinion Poll “Californians & Higher Education”
FUNDING CONTINUES TO DECLINE AND
REMAINS A LOW PRIORITY
ONLY HIGHER EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES HAVE
DROPPED CONSISTENTLY:
Looking past the sharp budget cuts since the latest recession, only social
services has shared a decline in funding with higher education over the
last 25 years.
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SO WHO IS TO BLAME?
The Regents? Yudof? The Dems? The GOP? Arnold?
Scapegoats!
In truth, we’re set up to fail by…
California’s broken system
of government.
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PROBLEM 1: TAX RULES
HANDCUFF LAWMAKERS
California needs tax revenue: California’s 2009-2010
budget gap is the third largest in the country.
Due to Prop. 13, property taxes = non-existent:
Proposition 13 (1978) denies California property tax revenues
that other states use to fund core social services, like higher
education. (Because Prop 13 keeps property taxes very low, it
is very popular with voters despite the problems it creates.)
As a result, we get all our revenue from income/sales
taxes: California is forced to rely heavily on income and
sales taxes, which decline rapidly in recessions.
Prop. 13 also makes it impossible to raise new taxes:
Proposition 13 requires a 2/3 supermajority to raise taxes.
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PROBLEM 2: CA’S UNIQUELY
DYSFUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY
So you've got a huge budget shortfall. Times are tough all over, right?
Yes, but no state government is as screwy as California's:
Gerrymandering. Politicians have gerrymandered our legislative districts to the
point where they are far left or far right. Inevitably, our politicians represent the
margins.
Term limits. California kicks lawmakers out of the Senate in eight years and out
of the Assembly in six. That means no one has the time to get to know the other
side of the aisle. Coalitions = impossible.
The initiative system. People make crazy laws! Initiatives in California “lock in
spending,” “lock out” spending, and create unfunded mandates.
So you've got politicians who are completely different politically, and who don't know
each other personally. You hand them a huge budget mess, layer on some crazy
mandates created by initiatives, and basically prohibit the raising of new revenues.
And then you really get crazy…
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PROBLEM 3:
IT’S THE SUPERMAJORITY, STUPID
And then you say,
“Get two-thirds of you to
agree to a budget, or no one
leaves the room.”
As UC Berkeley political science
Professor Henry Brady says,
"California has created an ungovernable state."
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SUPERMAJORITY REQUIREMENTS ARE
ANTI-DEMOCRATIC
It’s Undemocratic: This is a Different California:
Simple majority decision-making The constitutional provision that
is the foundation of American requires a 2/3 vote for passing a
democracy. budget originates in 1933 when the
population of CA was less than 6
In CA, 14 of 40 Senators can
million people. Back then,
block anything. The minority
California resembled the Minnesota
controls spending decisions.
of today.
Consider Obama: Only Two VERY Different States
Have Such a Rule:
Barack has compromised his
vision for America due to the Only Arkansas and Rhode Island
60% rule in the US Senate. In have supermajority voting
California, the Democrats must requirements like ours.
get 66%.
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Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit
SUPERMAJORITY REQUIREMENTS
HURT HIGHER EDUCATION
Case Study A: Case Study B:
Who the Supermajority Who the Supermajority
Hurts – Higher Education Helps - The Prison Lobby
Compromises made to meet the 2/3rds The Prison Guards‘ Union is one of the
requirement in last year’s budget (just 2 most powerful special interests in the
Senate votes and 4 Assembly votes): state. It is tight with the minority. Look
at the results:
$1.2bn for Higher Ed. Traded Away
The majority tried to put $1.2 billion
Criminal justice spending up: Just
toward higher ed. and social services, which
6% in 1985, 14% today.
would have hugely helped the UC. To get
just a few votes from the minority, they had
Higher education spending down: 16%
to put that $$ to prisons instead.
in 1985, just 11% today.
Special Interest Bargains
The majority was forced to agree to more The Prison Guards’ Union contributed
than $2 billion in special interest corporate over $2M in 2005 to defeat Arnold’s
tax breaks at the last minute. These initiative to reform the prison system and
giveaways never would have been included decrease prison spending.
in a majority vote budget.
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Source: UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies, Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice
The most important votes you
can cast for the future of the UC
system are on ballot initiatives
you’ve never heard of.
The time has come to
RESTORE THE MAJORITY.
RESTORE THE UC.
WE CAN USE INITIATIVES TO ELIMINATE THE
2/3rds REQUIREMENT FOR PASSING A BUDGET
What is a Ballot Initiative?
About 1/2 of states allow voters to put proposed laws or
amendments on the ballot in the form of an “initiative.”
In California, initiatives become law with the support of
50% of voters.
Supporters of an initiative must gather a certain
number of signatures in order to “qualify” for the ballot.
• In CA, supporters simply pay professional signature
gathering companies $1-2 million to gather the
required number of signatures. Grassroots signature
gathering is rarely successful.
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RESTORE THE MAJORITY. RESTORE THE UC.
HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS.
Your Nov. 2010 vote can empower lawmakers who believe in higher
education and can restore a core democratic right to all Californians
Three different approaches to Restore the Majority in November 2010
California Forward: Hancock / Burton: Lakoff:
“Budget Accountability Act” “On-Time Budget Act” “California Democracy Act”
Reduces current 2/3rds
requirement for passing budget
to 50% Reduces current 2/3rds Reduces current 2/3rds
Does not address taxes requirement for passing requirement for passing
budget to 50% budget to 50%
Increases simple majority
Does not address taxes Reduces current 2/3rds
requirement for raising fees to
requirement for raising taxes
2/3rds supermajority Takes away lawmakers’
to 50%
PayGo - Requires gov’t to explain salaries everyday budget is
overdue
financing for any spending
increases or tax reductions
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Source: Direct communication with campaigns
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
AMONG RESTORE THE MAJORITY INITIATIVES..
Approaches Differ in Organization, Strategy, Fundraising, and
Preliminary Polling
CA Forward: Hancock / Burton: Lakoff:
“Budget Accountability Act” “On Time Budget Act” “California Democracy Act”
Organization Initiated: Initiated: Initiated:
Bipartisan think tank in State Sen. Loni Hancock & Berkeley Prof. George Lakoff
San Francisco called Dem Party Chair John Burton
“California Forward” Campaign:
Campaign : Headed by CA Dem Party Co-
Campaign: Major unions: Teachers, Chair Eric Bauman
CA Forward’s sister PAC Firefighter, Nurses
Strategy Not known Professional: union Volunteer: retirees,
organizers, hired signature students, and community
gatherers, experienced organizers
political strategists
Funding Not known Shared between participating Fundraising events and
unions individual contributions
Relying on volunteerism
Support in 60-70% 70% 35-51%
Polls
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Source: Direct communication with campaigns
WHAT IS OUR STRATEGY?
Each of these campaigns is dying for student involvement….
Compliment Student Protests
The anger already exists. The protests and occupations are
already happening. We are the compliment, restoring funding to
the UC through concrete, pragmatic policy solutions.
Plant the “Restore the Majority” Idea Early Among
Students and Voters
The Coalition for a Strong UC is actively educating students
about Restore the Majority.
Gain a Seat at the Table by Making Students Useful
When one of the three initiatives emerges as the clear leader,
we will move from an education campaign to the get-out-the-
vote campaign.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Sign up for updates: [Link].
2. Find us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter (CAmajority).
3. Endorse us! We’ll put your group’s name on our website.
4. Tell your sister chapters at other UCs about us. We have
parallel campaigns running across the state.
5. Tell your parents. They hate fee hikes too!
6. Natural-born speaker? We’ll train you to give this
presentation in 30 minutes online.
7. Vote for “Restore the Majority” initiatives in November!
Most importantly, go to
[Link]
and GET ON OUR MAILING LIST.
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[Link]
Sign up for updates and
access all campaign materials.
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