Regent's budget banks on passage of Prop. 1A
Friday, October 30, 1998
Regent's budget banks on passage of Prop. 1A
FUNDS: Money from bond measure needed for capital programs
By Edina Lekovic
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The University of California's capital outlay budget is riding on whims of California voters, according to the UC Board of Regents.
When the regents discussed their 1998-99 budget two weeks ago, most of it was contingent on the passage of Proposition 1A.
The largest bond measure in the country, according to Larry Hershman, UC vice president of budgets, the $9.2 billion voter initiative includes $6.7 billion for
K-12 schools and $2.5 billion for higher education over a four-year period.
The board is depending on California citizens to pass the bond measure so that it can begin badly needed seismic renovations and new buildings to counter overpopulation on its nine campuses.
While opponents contend that Proposition 1A is too large and will require too much money from the state's general fund, UC President Richard Atkinson characterizes the initiative as California's responsibility to the future.
"The University of California makes an important contribution to the state's economic vitality through its research initiatives and its education programs for an increasingly knowledge-based work force," UC President Richard Atkinson said.
"To support this public service, I believe we must upgrade and expand our facilities as enrollments grow and as technologies and academic programs evolve."
Proposition 1A would fund facilities projects at all UC campuses, including seismic corrections, building renovations and infrastructure modernization.
The regents are pushing the initiative, arguing expansion and repair are critical in order to accommodate the additional 45,000 students expected to enroll at the UC by 2010.
"The Board of Regents strongly supports Prop. 1A," said board chairman John Davies.
"We believe that providing safe and modern facilities is crucial to maintaining the University of California's high-quality academic programs and to providing the next generation of Californians with access to a UC education," he continued.
Legally, the regents can not campaign for the bond measure.
According to UC Vice President of Legal Affairs James Holst, the board's activities are limited to a strictly educational campaign rather than a political one.
As a result, regents and UC officials must legally present both sides of the argument, and avoid telling people how to vote. They can distribute information, but are not allowed to act as advocates for the initiative, according to Holst.
In addition, the regents cannot donate money to Californians for Higher Education, an organization campaigning for the initiative - only campus foundations are allowed to do that.
"I think the key ingredient is that we make the public aware of what we can accomplish," said Regent Russell Gould.
Atkinson said that every UC chancellor would be writing opinion articles and meeting with newspaper editorial boards.
Atkinson has repeatedly emphasized that while upcoming UC facility projects are contingent upon Proposition 1A, the measure will only fund about half of the university's annual capital outlay needs.
"Bond measure 1A isn't going to be enough money to solve all the seismic problems at UCLA and Berkeley, but it should fund the other campuses," Hershman said.
With enrollment growing most rapidly at the San Diego, Santa Cruz, Irvine and Riverside campuses, the regents said that only the worst problems will be taken care of.
"That isn't going to be enough to get Merced going," Hershman said of the $55 million budgeted for the UC's 10th campus. "That could be enough for just infrastructure (but not the facilities)."
Bond measures do not affect property taxes, but instead enable the state to borrow money and pay it back from the state's general fund.
"If Prop. 1A doesn't pass, it would be a catastrophe," Atkinson said.
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