Plans for several projects at the University of California are
dependent on an education bond measure on the Nov. 7 ballot.
The measure, Proposition 1D, would allocate $10.4 billion from
the state general-obligation fund to improve infrastructure at K-12
and all public higher education institutions over the next two
years, with $890 million going directly the UC.
The 43 UC projects relying on the measure include building
renovations, seismic upgrades and new facilities.
One project at UCLA, the construction of a new life sciences
building, relies on $38.6 million from the measure.
UC Irvine and UC Santa Cruz will also receive substantial
amounts of money ““ $122.1 million and $143 million,
respectively ““ for campus construction if the measure
passes.
But critics of the bond say the measure is too shortsighted. On
the California Secretary of State’s official bond summary,
William Saracino of the California Political Review criticized the
measure because it only provides funding for the next two
years.
“Schwarzenegger’s 10-year infrastructure plan gave
the state a perfect opportunity to do some long-term
planning,” Saracino said. “But what happened? We get
another short-term bond proposal.”
Similar propositions were passed in 2002 and 2004, but this one
is unique because it sets aside $200 million to expand university
medical programs, said Michael Reese, a UC spokesman.
The money for the UC medical community would be used to expand
telemedicine programs in which doctors and patients consult long
distance, said Alan Robinson, associate vice chancellor of medical
sciences at UCLA.
“This money is extremely important to us,” he said.
“An expanded telemedicine program would allow us to help
underserved communities in California.”
Robinson also said he hopes there is funding someday for a
building dedicated to telemedicine programs.
The $200 million for UC medical programs has not been allocated
to specific projects yet.
The community college system is getting the most funds of all
the higher education systems with $1.5 billion.
“A strengthened community college system is a direct
benefit to the UC system because it better prepares future transfer
students,” Reese said.
If the bond is not passed, Reese said it would be “back to
the drawing boards” for individual projects planned at all of
the UCs.
But public opinion is currently running in the bond’s
favor.
A Field Poll released Friday reported that 52 percent of
California voters supported Proposition 1D, while 33 percent did
not.
If the projects cannot be funded by the bond, the UC system will
still try to acquire funding through the state legislature, said
Steve Olsen, UCLA vice chancellor of finance and budget.
Olsen said this route to funding, however, would be more
expensive for the state and would probably take most of 2007 to get
through the legislature.