We have heavily editorialized here at the FlashReport against the outrageous appropriation of millions of dollars for the University_ of California to support "research on labor and employment and labor education" – or more appropriately put, public money for labor unions.
Well, I am pleased to announce that after culling through the line-item vetoes, Governor Schwarzenegger has COMPLETELY ELIMINATED funding for this boondoggle, again showing the advantage to taxpayers of sending the Governor a budget where he is not a party to agreeing to everything in it. Below is directly from the veto message.
Item 6440-001-0001-For support of University of California. I reduce this item from $3,000,920,000 to $2,995,520,000 by decreasing:
(1) Support from $3,123,516,000 to $3,118,116,000, and by revising Provisions 14 and 24 and by deleting Provision 16. Page 8
I am reducing this item by $5,400,000 to eliminate funding that supports research on labor and employment and labor education. While this budget bill provides for a modest reserve in 2008-09, it fails to make the necessary statutory spending reductions and revenue increases needed to eliminate the state’s structural budget deficit going forward. At the same time, constitutional requirements, federal law and court required payments drive the majority of the spending in any budget, and limit my ability to reduce spending. As a result, I have an obligation to reduce spending when my veto power is adequate to do so. Consequently – and in order to further ensure that this budget remains in balance — I am taking the difficult but necessary action reflected in this veto to further control state spending. I am also revising Provision 24 of this item to conform as follows:
"24. Of the funds appropriated in Schedule (1), $5,400,000 $0 is to support research on labor and employment and labor education throughout the University of California system. Of these funds, 60 percent shall be for labor research and 40 percent shall be for labor education."
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 am
This is a bit of great news from an otherwise lackluster budget. I take back almost everything I have recently thought about the Governor.