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| Tax the rich, educate the ?poor? |
| 2003-07-21 |
| California’s premier university system is considering charging rich students more tuition to offset deep funding cuts resulting from the state’s $38 billion budget deficit. The Board of Regents of the University of California examined a proposal for a surcharge on wealthy students at a meeting Thursday. The university would be the first in the country to target wealthy students with a surcharge. The proposed fee would force undergraduate students with family incomes exceeding $90,000 to pay as much as $3,000 more to attend one of the university’s nine campuses. It is expected to affect 58,194 of the university’s 160,000 undergraduate students. "I think that is outrageous," said Republican state Sen. Dick Ackerman, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. "There is already a significant program of financial aid and scholarships for people who can’t afford to go there. You shouldn’t be charging rich people more just because you can." The UC regents were forced last week to raise tuition 25 percent across the board to compensate for a budget shortfall that had already caused the university to cut spending by $360 million. The tuition increases were preceded by a 10 percent increase in December and might be followed by a 5 percent increase. Universities across the country are grappling with shrinking budgets as state support and endowments dry up. Last year, tuition at public universities climbed an average of 10 percent, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. This year, 30 states are facing serious budget shortfalls forcing tax increases or spending cuts. The surcharge was proposed by Regent Tom Sayles who did not return calls for comment Friday. The university administration has drawn up a plan that would raise $60 million by charging the rich students an additional $1,000. But the university’s vice president in charge of the budget has said a $3,000 surcharge might be needed to make the program worthwhile. Regent Matt Murray, the lone student on the 25-person governing board, said he supports a surcharge and lashed out at the state’s Republican legislators who have resisted tax increases intended to offset the budget deficit. (Anyone want to hire Master Murray after he graduates?) "Given the ridiculous nature of the budget situation and the limited options the university has, I think it is wise to pursue the idea," he said. "The goal is to make sure the university is accessible to all kinds of students of all kinds of backgrounds." (Whoops he already has a Job at Dem undy.com ’Ask Aunty Pinko’) The university study of the proposal states that a surcharge might be more acceptable to the public than across-the-board cuts because it would affect fewer people, but it also acknowledges that it would be contentious. "The university needs to develop justifications for the proposed income-threshold level. Any income cutoff is arbitrary," the study states. The study also considers setting the cutoff at $150,000. It stated that students who qualify for financial aid would be exempt from the fee, regardless of their parents’ income. Regent Velma Montoya called the surcharge proposal "offensive" and said the parents in the wealthy bracket whom she has spoken with feel "put upon." "They already pay more into the system in terms of taxes," she said. "And most people don’t consider a $90,000 income to be rich in California." (Since I am under that figure, am I technically ‘poor’) Mrs. Montoya said the university should look to make cuts at the administrative level. (With 25 regents I see room for cuts!) Mr. Ackerman proposed cuts to outreach and diversity efforts, saying, "There are more students trying to get in than can as it is." The state will continue to subsidize the bulk of the $16,900 it costs the university to educate each student per year. The university hadn’t raised fees in seven years. UC colleges are very affordable to ALL students. This is just another example of what LUNITICS in our (CA) state. President Bush, please invade our State and free us from this tyranny! |
| Posted by:Cyber Sarge |
| #17 Frank G - Shit, it takes 3 passes to complete... Alaska IS a trip and, if you can find a job that covers what you want, an awesomely beautiful place. Unforgiving as hell, if you fuck up, but if you're on your toes, it's really cool. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-22 12:53:29 AM |
| #16 Frank G - Part 2 I looked at maps of NV to try to figure out where the biz is and concluded there just wasn't likely to be enough clients available unless I wanted Vegas. I do web apps - and there is some serious biz there in my game, but I don't know the place or anyone - and it's not like they don't have any unemployment. I thought Carson City / Reno looked best, regards living - Vegas is just reclaimed desert. Is CC/Reno big enough and busy enuff for yet another a guy doing web apps, you think? I DO like the tax game in NV - for biz, too. I am currently thinking about TX cuz it's doing well, low COL, I know it inside out, and have some connections. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-22 12:52:32 AM |
| #15 Frank G - I'm gonna break this response into 2 parts - having problems with my connection... Del Mar & Solana Beach was where I lived in the 3 yrs I was there. I stayed on the Western side of I-5 for that great "marine layer effect". 22 lanes? Hayzoos Christay! That's outrageous! They prolly still have that unwritten law that sez you can't change just one lane at a time, too. Wanna move over 1 lane to the left? You gotta go 2 right and then 3 left. I'm pretty sure it's a law. Everyone drives that way 'round there. Can't ALL be crazy, can they? (snicker) SD is one beautiful place - if you're near the coast - with 350 days of motorcycle weather a year - real sigh. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-22 12:50:46 AM |
| #14 I did make 90K in CA, and felt far from rich. Stoopeds. CA wants to raise taxes on smokes, cut education, and now this. I guess Gov. Gray thinks that smokers, elementary school students, and middle class engineers/programmers/etc. caused the deficit, so they should pay for it. I will not miss the left coast ... |
| Posted by: Beau - CA Escapee 2003-7-21 10:36:06 PM |
| #13 AP- I don't have a license, but a friend's father was a Capt at American and taught me how to fly, more or less, when I was about 11. He was my "rich" friend. Did a little time in a Piper tail-dragger and an Aeronca (sp?) Air Coupe - but never tried his Piper TriPacer or his Waco biplane. The Waco would've been OK, but I was scared of the Piper's tricycle gear. Controlled crash was my landing style and it looked too fragile to me! Getting a license is one of the things I'll do if I come back to The World. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 9:43:40 PM |
| #12 PD---We have bandwidth up the wazoo to Outside and Japan with fiber optic cables....I've got a Cessna 172 Stealth Chickenhawk, you know, just like the one that Matthias Rust landed in Red Square from Germany under Soviet Radar........ |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-21 9:26:59 PM |
| #11 Without the taxes, I'd love it. I agree CO Springs looks like an interesting place. Don't know Pueblo. I don't know what's important to you, but Austin is a fun / vibrant locale with UT - lots of hi-tech co's. I'm a programmer (30 yrs) - doing web apps for the last 7. I might even decide to work a little, if I go there, but Thailand is working out fine as a place to hang out till things improve in US. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 9:12:56 PM |
| #10 AP - I: 1) "met" Anchorage Alice 2) experienced the wild time of 2 pipeline welders "buying out the bar" in the Capt Cook 3) drove over Turnagin Pass to Seward & back 4) slept in my client's A-frame on the foothills above Anch and woke up at 4:00 AM to see a bear going through his garbage 3 feet away through the wall of glass on the front of his "chalet" 5) had 6-egg omelettes with 2 lbs of fresh crabmeat smothered in mornay sauce costing $20 6) heard radio commercials directing the trappers to be at the Anch Sears parking lot on such and such day - the pelt buyers would be set up and loaded with cash Quite a place! |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 9:08:02 PM |
| #9 AP - I've been trying to post a reply for over an hour. Only short stuff goes thru. Sorry! |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 9:05:14 PM |
| #8 Are you in the 4 corners area? No, although I am familiar with that area. I am currently in CA, and am seeking to get out if this hellhole sometime in the future. The only thing that keeps me here is my decent-paying job at some high tech firm. I had my eye on CO Springs, or Pueblo. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-21 8:51:17 PM |
| #7 Was anyone else irritated by the Times' uncritical use of the words "rich" and "wealthy"? We are talking about $90K FAMILY income, which means if hubby makes $60K and wifey $30K they qualify as "rich". Anyway, I live in L.A. and trust me, $90K is only making-ends-meet middle class around here. |
| Posted by: TPF 2003-7-21 8:36:46 PM |
| #6 PD come on up here. I live in the mountains. We have avalanches. Great fishing, trees, glaciers, Prince William Sound, the world's largest deep water picture postcard, Hike out your back yard and you are in the wilderness, bears attacking ones bird feeder. Snow in winter. The whole nine yards...heh heh. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-21 7:58:15 PM |
| #5 B-A-R - I love CO (lived in Utah & Idaho over 8 yr span) - but taxes ruled it out - you have a State Income Tax, IIRC. That was the first hard criterion I used to cut down the list. I looked long at CO, UT, ID, WY, MT, & NV (cuz I knew them so well) and Alaska, New Mex, TX, and Florida. I wanted either mountains or the ocean, but that's what everyone else wants, too. I miss the mountains and the fact that you can drive 20 minutes in any direction and be 10 minutes away from "civilization." Sweet. I used to go deer hunting in the Book Cliffs area, I think it was called. So long ago... Are you in the 4 corners area? Grow pinto beans in Cortez, perhaps? |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 7:09:52 PM |
| #4 I guess that UC has to raise the rates because of the nasty letters of refusal for contributions to my alma |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-7-21 6:37:33 PM |
| #3 3 grand "outrageous"? Try paying for Stanford sometime, dink. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-7-21 6:22:19 PM |
| #2 What about CO? As in towards the southern half of the state? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-7-21 6:03:46 PM |
| #1 This is one of many reasons that I won't be coming back to CA, if I do come back stateside. Believe me, I miss Del Mar - a drop dead gorgeous place. I think the best overall life for the $$$ appears to be Austin or San Antonio TX - after looking at the numbers all over the US for the last year. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-21 5:57:42 PM |