2005 Budget Breakdown

Just the facts:

The preliminary 2005 budget has been proposed to the California legislature. Some early numbers -

* The discretionary fund is based on a 6.8% increase in tax revenue without a raise in taxes.
* State funding to the UCs will increase 5.3%.
* Student fees in the UCs will increase an estimated 8%.
* UC Outreach funding has been reduced to $29.3 million from $85 million just five years ago.

Whether these numbers stick remains to be seen. There are many issues remaining to resolve, including:

* The desire of many legislators to install a spending cap to balance the budget.
* Charges that the budget withholds over a billion dollars from K-12 education under the provisions of Proposition 98.
* Active lobbying from the business sector for a commercial tax cut to boost the local economy.

As far as UC lobbying, it doesn't look like there will be much fighting from higher education officials. UC President Robert Dynes called the budget plan "welcome", according to the SF Chronicle. However, cuts to the financial aid and outreach programs (approx. $17 million) will probably be contested on several fronts.Email This Post!