Ah, California higher ed

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Lifting text from the generic media (AKA the Associated Press)today

Protesters gather at UCLA to oppose UC fee hike

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 8:18 a.m.

LOS ANGELES — Hundreds of protesters chanted, marched and took over a building Thursday on the UCLA campus, where University of California regents were scheduled to vote on a 32 percent student fee increase. The UC Board of Regents is considering boosting undergraduate fees – the equivalent of tuition – by $2,500 by 2010. For a second day, the proposal drew demonstrators to the University of California, Los Angeles. Some came from other UC campuses and stayed overnight in a tent city.While many marched at an administration building, about 30 to 50 protesters staged a takeover of Campbell Hall, a building that houses ethnic studies, said UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton.They chained the doors shut but were peaceful and there were no immediate plans to remove them, Hampton said. No arrests had been made, although 14 demonstrators were arrested on Wednesday and cited for failure to disperse or disturbing the peace. Demonstrations also were held at other UC campuses. UC President Mark Yudof told reporters Wednesday he couldn't rule out raising student fees again if the state is unable to meet his request for an additional $913 million next year for the 10-campus system.

"I can't make any ... promises," he said.

After a series of deep cuts in state aid, and with state government facing a nearly $21 billion budget gap over the next year and a half, Board of Regents members said there was no option to higher fees. "When you have no choice, you have no choice," Yudof said after a Regents' committee endorsed the fee plan Wednesday. "I'm sorry." The Los Angeles meeting was repeatedly interrupted by outbursts from students and union members, who accused the board of turning its back on the next generation. "We are bailing out the banks, we are bailing out Wall Street. Where is the bailout for public education?" asked UCLA graduate student Sonja Diaz. University of California, Irvine, economics student Sarah Bana told the board, "You are jeopardizing California's future."

[Note - fees for a full-time student for a year will be about $11,000 with the increase. Room and board are up to the student's discretion.]



Let's see - faculty and staff furloughs (read that PAY CUTS) at UC, people out of work, less tax revenue to run the machine.... I hope that whatever revenue fairy the students think will come and magically replenish the system's bank accounts will stop at MY bank account, too. It's a shame, but when money's tight, everybody pays. Students get to carry their share as well.

As if throwing food at the police and screaming at meetings will make a damned bit of difference. And I wonder what they'll think, those who have been arrested, when they apply for jobs after they graduate? An arrest record will eliminate many of their options. So romantic to go charge at the dragon. It's hard to remember that the dragon tends to win, and that you are crunchy and go good with ketchup.