No one at the meeting raised the possibility that UC might not need to increase spending as much as it has proposed. That view, however, could be found in the Capitol, where budget analysts said they were frustrated by the regents’ conversation. “UC is in effect saying that it plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more each year … at a time that inflation is at historic lows, when demographic growth in the college-age population is near zero and when most public agencies are spending less money, rather than more money,” Steve Boilard, director for higher education at the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said in an email. “I’m disappointed there wasn’t a more robust conversation about these increases and what these spending increases entail,” he said. H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the state’s Department of Finance, said the agency is in talks with UC about its request for four years of funding commitments but that no decisions have been made. He noted that the state is projecting budget shortfalls ranging from $1.6 billion to $3.1 billion for the next three years. UC wants more money to close a budget gap projected at $2.5 billion over the next four years. Its current gap of $1 billion was caused in part by a state cut of $650 million. Another $100 million cut looms this winter if state revenue does not meet expectations.

Read full article [here].
by Laurel Rosenhall, The Sacramento Bee.

Posted: September 16th, 2011, by: admin. Categories: . Awaiting Comments.