Bustamante offers funding ideas to CSU Trustee Board

By Laban Pelz

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante criticized the California State University Board of Trustees Tuesday for relying too much on the state for funding and not enough on its own creativity.

“ This board does not seem to be moving aggressively to resolve this crisis,” he said from the floor of the Save Mart Center, where the CSU Board of Trustees met for their annual conference.

“ I’m wondering what the mission of this board is.”

Bustamante, an ex-officio member of the Board, said he wanted to see solutions other than increased state support and fee increases for overcoming budget cuts.

“ We have agreed that the state is responsible for the preponderance of funding for higher education,” said CSU Assistant Vice Chancellor Karen Zamdrippa, stating the official position of the Board. Some on the Board also said they understood Gov. Schwarzenegger agreed to a set amount of funding for the CSU.

Bustamante was skeptical of the funding.

“ Where did the governor say this? When?” he asked.

Bustamante said the CSU needs to find more innovative ways to increase revenue.

“ Instead of fooling around with eight billion (dollars), the board should figure out how to find 100 billion,” he said.

“ At least K through 14 (grade levels) went forward and protected themselves (with Proposition 98). While I may not have agreed with it, I respect the fact that they went out and secured for themselves funding.

“ When are we going to have a Prop. 98 for higher education?”

Bustamante also said he saw a degree of passivity from the Trustees.

“ There appears to be total acquiescence on the part of the board,” he said.

“ I don’t think this board is acquiescing to anything,” responded Chairman of Finance William Huack.

Some on the Board asked Bustamante to give suggestions for how the CSU can garner more funding.

“ There are a variety of simple ways,” he said. “I had many ideas for dealing with the budget crisis, but voters decided differently Oct. 7. I’d love to make recommendations.”

Bustamante went on to explain that a 25-cent tax on cigarettes would “solve all the problems right there.”

Also at the meeting were representatives from several unions whose workers are employed by the CSU. Upset by what they said is slowness and apathy on the part of the CSU, they wanted to know how seriously the CSU will take contract negotiation.

“ We are still waiting for serious movement from the CSU,” said Charles Goetzl, president of Academic Professionals of California, a union whose contract has expired.

“ We have been continually respectful of the realities of the budget. Whenever we approach CSU members with a solution to a problem, they hum a few bars of ‘we ain’t got no money,’ even when the solution is non-economical,” Goetzl said.

Jackie McClain, a vice chancellor of the CSU, responded.

“ Things are more complex than they seem,” she said.

Some of the representatives said they felt the CSU does not reciprocate the efforts made by the unions.

“ It’s frustrating at its best,” said Barbara Peterson, also of the APC, who works at CSU Sacramento.

“ We send dedicated, intelligent, hard-working members, with a sincere desire to craft a document that will benefit our members and the CSU, to the table,” Peterson said. “The CSU sends dedicated, intelligent, hard-working members… who have no power or authority to make a decision.”

Peterson said the people who make decisions never hear what the union members have to say.

Another representative wanted the Board to clarify their policy on payment to union members.

“ What is the compensation philosophy of the CSU? We have never received an answer to that,” said Dennis Dillon, deputy division director for the California State Employees Association.

The Board also broached the subject of scheduling regular student fee increases for CSU students. A formal policy will be proposed in May.

The Board of Trustees will reconvene at the SMC today.