Dear Governor Brown:
As advocates of higher education, we are writing to urge you to approve AB 1476 — an amendment to the FY 2014-2015 State Budget that provides an additional $100 million for the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems. Given the State’s improved financial position, this funding could help support millions of dollars in maintenance projects previously deferred due to deep cuts in state funding. In the long term, if the economy continues to improve, the funding would support increasing enrollment of California students — providing residents greater access to our state’s premier public higher education systems, and increase the number of transfer students from community colleges to the UC or CSU.
The University of California and California State University — both innovation and economic generators for our state’s economy — provide a tremendous public benefit to California taxpayers. Your re-investment in higher education since 2012 demonstrates your belief in the value of public higher education and its underlying importance as an economic driver in the state. We were also heartened to see your office identify investments in deferred maintenance at California’s educational facilities as a priority during the 2014-15 budget cycle.
Today, it is critical that the State of California continue to invest in both the integrity of the two systems’ infrastructure and the education of California students. Given the state’s improved financial outlook, we believe that AB 1476 provides a fiscally responsible way to make our campuses safer in the short-term and increase access and opportunity in the long-term.
For these reasons, we ask that you please approve AB 1476 as passed by bipartisan majorities in the California Legislature.
Sincerely,
• AFSCME 3299 — Kathryn Lybarger, President
• AFSCME UAPD — Stuart Bussey, President
• CFA — Lillian Taiz, President
• CNA — Janice Webb, RN, Chair
• CSU-EU — Pat Gantt, President
• CUCFA — Joe Kiskis, VP for External Relations
• FUPOA — Andrew Lopez, President
• SETC — Carl Kimberlin, Business Manager
• SUPA — Jeff Solomon, President
• Teamsters 2010 — Jason Rabinowitz, Exec Director
• UAW 2865 — Michelle Glowa, President
• UAW 4123 — Rich Anderson, President
• UAW 5810 — Neal Sweeney, President
• UC-AFT — Bob Samuels, President
• UCSA — Jefferson Kuoch-Seng, President
• UPTE-CWA 9119 — Jelger Kalmijn, President