Prop 30 About to Fail: Needs Student Support

The latest polls show that Prop 30, Governor Brown's measure increasing taxes to support education (including higher education), is likely to fail without increased student mobilization.  Many college students are voting against it because they think it applies only to K-12 education and don't realize that huge tuition increases are imminent if the measure fails.  Michael Meranze has more details.

Our rivers are full of fish! #Romney

"No presidential candidate in the future will be so inept that four of his major speeches can be boiled down to these historic four sentences: Agriculture is important. Our rivers are full of fish. You cannot have freedom without liberty. Our future lies ahead."

The Louisville Courier-Journal on Dewey's 1948 campaign against Truman.  How could they know that Mitt Romney had been born the year before?

Haven't posted much this summer--working on a new book on African Americans and the welfare state--but I couldn't resist this one!

Executive Council of Davis Academic Senate Censures Katehi

The Executive Council of the Davis Academic Senate censured Chancellor Katehi.

The Executive Council of the Davis Division of the Academic Senate hereby censures Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi for failure to perform adequately the tasks of her office and failure to provide clarity, candor, and trustworthy accounts in relation to the events of November 18, 2011.  

The Council's action is based on a report by a special committee.  That report is here.  The special committee called for the resignation of Katehi and two other top officials.  The Executive Council did not go that far.

Reynoso Task Force to Release Pepper Spray Report at Noon Wednesday April 11 #occupyucdavis

From UC Davis Office of University Communications: 

 

The task force looking into last November's pepper-spray incident has made tentative arrangements to share its findings at a campus forum this Wednesday, April 11 at 3:30 pm in Freeborn Hall.

 

Plans for Wednesday's public meeting will be confirmed after a hearing Tuesday morning in Alameda County Superior Court, at which a judge is expected to approve an agreement allowing the task force report to be released.

 

More information is available in this announcement from the UC Office of the President: http://news.ucdavis.edu/download/201204/Task_force_announcement_4.9.12.pdf

The report is schedule to be released at noon on April 11.  

UC President Mark Yudof will ask regents to endorse Brown tax initiative

University of California President Mark Yudof has announced that he will ask the regents to endorse Governor Brown's tax initiative.  Others should be asking/demanding this as well.

Liz Cheney as #Romney Running Mate?

I had lunch with a senior colleague today who predicts that Romney will choose foreign policy hawk Liz Cheney (Dick and Lynne's daughter) as his running mate.  Here's a piece by Michael Chase outlining the case for Cheney (though he thinks Jeb Bush will actually get the nod).

My colleague shared my glee at Romney's ineptitude and Obama's newfound strength.  I told him that my only fear is that Romney will somehow lose the nomination in a brokered convention.  He doubts that anyone will step up because this is a losing year for Republicans and, in recent history, losing nominees don't get a second chance.

Two 2012 ballot initiatives to raise taxes in California #Occupy

Bob Samuels describes the new ballot initiative on taxes that emerged as a compromise between Governor Jerry Brown's initiative and the California Federation of Teachers' Millionaire's Tax.

1. PERSONAL INCOME TAX:
a. 1% increase on incomes of $250,000 ($500,000 for couples). No change from Governor’s initiative.
b. 2% increase on incomes of $300,000 ($600,000 for couples). Governor’s initiative was 1.5%.
c. 3% increase on incomes of $500,000 ($1 million for couples). Governor’s initiative was 2%.
d. These tax increases remain in place for 7 years. Governor’s initiative was 5 years.
2. SALES TAX: increase quarter cent (Governor’s was half cent). Same expiration as the Governor’s.
3. STRUCTURE: The measure will be based on the Governor’s initiative structure, with the changes noted in #1 and #2 above.
4. REVENUES (NOTE: THESE ESTIMATES ARE PRELIMINARY): This new measure will generate about $9 billion for the 2012-13 budget (up from the $6.9 billion in the Governor’s initiative).

Meanwhile Pasadena civil rights attorney, Molly Munger, the daughter of billionaire Berkshire Hathaway chairman Charles Munger, pushes forward with her own initiative despite Brown's claim that the presence of two tax initiatives on the ballot will kill them both.  Munger's initiative, "Our Children Our Future," increases income taxes on a sliding scale ranging from 4/10 of 1% for households making less than $35,000 and 2.2% for couples making more than $5 million.  It seems unlikely to pass as it raises income taxes on more than just rich people.  The tax increase will raise $10 billion and this will be earmarked for K-12 education.  The initiative has been endorsed by the California Parent Teacher Association (PTA).  Munger has donated $3.4 million to the effort and has already begun airing a very nice television ad.  Munger and Brown are talking but have not yet reached any agreement.

Brown claims that all the money raised by his initiative will go to K-12 education and community colleges but this is only technically true because Brown will reduce other funding to schools and colleges in order to balance California's budget.