[lbo-talk] The Low State of Higher Education: A California Tragedy

michael perelman michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
Sun Nov 8 17:47:03 PST 2009


While higher education in California was reeling from budget cuts, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, "California State University Chancellor Charles Reed has retained high-priced lobbyists without competitive bidding, even though CSU has a Sacramento office where it runs a $1.1 million-a-year, in-house lobbying unit whose state employees monitor CSU-related bills and follow state budget hearings."

"In the last decade, the university system has paid more than $2 million in public funds to two Sacramento lobbying firms -- Capitol Advocacy LLC, and Sloat Higgins Jensen & Associates -- to influence the policies and budget decisions of the governor and state lawmakers."

Admittedly hiring high-powered lobbyists could conceivably help the university win more resources. Instead, "CSU's lobbyists have been paid to defeat bills designed to shed more light on CSU executive salaries and perks as well as public records. In 2006, The Chronicle reported that millions of dollars in extra compensation was quietly handed out to campus presidents and other top executives as they left their posts."

"The university has paid the outside lobbyists not only to obtain funding for programs such as student financial aid and an Education Doctorate degree, state records show, but also to monitor nearly a dozen bills that had little or no direct connection to the university, including legislation on affordable housing for Iraq veterans, money laundering, terrorism, sex offenders and sacred Indian grounds."

[The bill that really engaged the administration was one to require disclosure of spending in state-supported higher education, including executive salaries. A number of scandals in the system -- not just high salaries offended the legislature. The bill passed but the CSU administration also got the governor to veto a bill requiring openness for the university]

"Trent Hager, chief of staff for Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge (Los Angeles County), said CSU paid the two lobbying firms in 2007 to derail his boss' bill aimed at full disclosure of CSU salaries."They got it sidetracked and killed," he said."

more at:

http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/the-low-state-of-higher-education-a-california-tragedy/ -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929

530 898 5321 fax 530 898 5901 http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com



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