Praise the Governor and Pass the Ammunition

As our previous post noted, when you add up the monies in the governor's budget proposal for UC - "ongoing" and "one-time" - you end up with a nominal cut of 5.9% for fiscal year 2023-24 compared with the current year. However, it is customary - or so it seems - for the UC president to praise the governor, whatever is in the budget. And it happened yesterday, right on cue:

University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D., today (Jan. 10) issued the following statement on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2023-24 budget:

Governor Newsom has put forward a budget proposal that maintains his strong commitment to the University of California and allows us to continue our important work supporting all Californians. At this time of declining State revenues, his support for the University and our students is truly extraordinary. We are grateful for his continued support of the University.

This budget proposal maintains the consistent funding investments under the five-year budget compact — increases which were also supported by the state Legislature in last year’s budget. Reliable funding commitments from the state will allow the University to make critical investments including expanding undergraduate enrollment and hiring the next generation of faculty. His proposal also continues necessary state support for three UC campuses — Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego — to sustain campus efforts to reduce nonresident undergraduate enrollment and replace those seats with California resident undergraduates.

With his latest budget proposal, Gov. Newsom has once again shown support for the University’s vital role in enhancing California’s global economic competitiveness, educating the next generation of leaders, meeting the health care needs of people in the state, and researching the new technologies and innovative cures that keep our communities safe and healthy. These funds will allow us to continue having a positive impact on the lives of all Californians. We look forward to continuing to work with the state Legislature to ensure this vital funding is maintained and to advocate for additional infrastructure funding.

Source: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-statement-gov-newsoms-2023-24-budget-proposal.

We will see what is said about the UC budget at the upcoming Regents meetings, but probably there will be a continuation of a smiley face. However, UC now has until May to try to get more into the governor's May Revise budget proposal and until June to try and influence the legislature in that direction. The budget story doesn't end in January.

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PS: For those who don't "get" the reference in the title of this post, click on the link below:

https://archive.org/details/78_praise-the-lord-and-pass-the-ammunition_kay-kyser-and-his-orchestra-loesser_gbia0192475b.

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To hear the text above, click on the link below:

https://ia904704.us.archive.org/3/items/new-year-outlook/praise.mp3