UC leaders wary of governor's budget promises

By Matt Krupnick
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 01/20/2010 04:05:27 PM PST
Updated: 01/20/2010 07:47:36 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO — University of California leaders on Wednesday expressed skepticism about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget, saying he made unrealistic assumptions about federal money and still does not plan to give UC the funding it needs.

Meeting at UC San Francisco, the 10-campus university's Board of Regents said the funding plan would be an improvement over last year's painful budget, but that it was flawed. The proposal would give UC $237 million less than it had in 2007-08, they said, and ties several areas to federal money that has not yet been secured.

Regent Richard Blum, the husband of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco, called the budget "gimmicky" and said there was no way California would get the $6.9 billion Schwarzenegger was seeking. Among the areas tied to the federal money are enrollment growth and student aid.

"You have a budget you can't believe in," Blum said, adding that Schwarzenegger did not consult with Feinstein before coming up with the $6.9 billion figure.

The Schwarzenegger administration has a valid reason for the money it is seeking from the federal government, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the governor. California is owed tax dollars for several areas, he said, including undocumented immigrants being held in the state's prisons.

"There's a solid analytical foundation for every dollar," Palmer said. "We know how much it costs the state to incarcerate undocumented immigrants."

Student leaders, meanwhile, criticized regents for their November decision to increase student fees 32 percent by August. It is not fair to charge students more without knowing how the final state budget will look, said Victor Sanchez, a UC Santa Cruz undergraduate and president of the UC Students Association.

"The sting is still felt," he told the board, mentioning cuts to course offerings and student services. "We are getting, and will continue to get, less for more."

As has been the case in recent years, the state's drawn-out budget fight could cause problems for UC and its students. Administrators said Wednesday that all 10 campuses would have "wait lists" for applicants this year, meaning it could take months for some students to find out whether they had been admitted to the campus of their choice.

And the university has yet to decide whether to cut freshman enrollment by 2,300 for the second straight year. Budget cuts likely will force such a move, said Patrick Lenz, UC's budget chief.

"I don't think it will be as severe as 2,300," Lenz told reporters. "But it will be some."

UC leaders also said private donations dropped 20 percent in 2008-09, reflecting an economy-induced trend among other universities and nonprofit groups. The university raised $1.3 billion last year, down from a record $1.6 billion in 2007-08 but still the second-highest total in UC history.

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