Bigger Fish to Fry

As blog readers will know, Gov. Newsom expressed outrage about the demand from the feds that UC/UCLA pay $1 billion. But since then, he hasn't said much about that issue. He certainly hasn't proposed that the state allocate funding to UC to tide it over while litigation is pursued.

It is important to note that the governor has bigger fish to fry. He has been non-campaigning for president for more than a year. And now he is pushing a proposition that the legislature, at his bidding, just put on the ballot that would redistrict (gerrymander) California congressional seats in response to Texas and other red states doing the same.

In short, don't look to the governor to fix UC/UCLA's problems with the feds. There will be a major campaign around the redistricting proposition. Yours truly has already received a mailer - before the legislature had even put the issue on the ballot - opposing the proposition. (See the image.) Former governor Schwarzenegger, who views the current districting commission approach as his signature policy, has already announced opposition.

The governor will be absorbed in his non-campaign for president and the redistricting issue for some time. He won't be focused on UC/UCLA.