Legalizing pot may cause rise in crime

Increased marijuana usage rates triggered by Proposition 19 will also spark more marijuana-related crimes, especially on roadways, according to police officers and prosecutors around the state.

“It’s not going to free up a lot of our resources,” said Ethan Shear, a campus police detective who primarily investigates illicit marijuana sales.

The Board of Regents vote to increase pension contributions

Retiree benefits took center stage at the UC Board of Regents bimonthly meeting in San Francisco last week as the regents voted to increase the amount employers and employees will contribute to the UC retirement fund.

“I think we have to start down this path or we’re going to be in real trouble,” UC President Mark Yudof said.

The regents will also be changing eligibility requirements for retiree health benefits.

While regents said nothing is set in stone yet, the proposed changes have already sparked protest among UC faculty, staff and students.

Dozens of union members, accompanied by students and faculty, picketed the entrance to the UC San Francisco Community Center before Thursday’s meeting, banging drums, brandishing water bottles filled with beans and water jug fragments.