UC Berkeley: The 1881 Californians Who Aren’t There
By Peter Schrag
At a private lunch a couple of weeks ago, a Berkeley economist friend quipped that Cal was “becoming a finishing school for rich Asians.” Last week, the university provided dramatic confirmation.
Nearly 10 percent of those admitted to Berkeley next year will be foreign students, up from 5.7 percent two years ago. Meanwhile the percentage admitted from California is down sharply.
It’s called privatization, though UC doesn’t use the word. As state funding keeps going down, the university is filling its coffers with other revenues, the much higher tuition of non-resident students not least among them.
California Legislators: Whose Side Are They On?
By Russell Long
Today, a handful of California legislators will determine the fate of the health of children in California and also the health of people and all living things all over the world.
The California Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee will decide today whether or not to support SB 147, the Consumer Choice Fire Protection Act, which protects us from dangerous flame retardant chemicals.
Flame retardant chemicals are a lot like radioactivity – they are persistent and take a long time to break down. They travel on wind and water, and have been found in the bodies of human beings and animals all around the globe. These dangerous halogenated chemicals are linked to lowered IQ’s in children and other neuro-impairment, infertility, and cancer – all health problems on the rise here in California and around the world.
Strong Unions Mean a Strong Work Force
By Art Pulaski
California Labor Federation
"Collective bargaining ... has played a major role in America's economic miracle. Unions represent some of the freest institutions in this land. There are few finer examples of participatory democracy to be found anywhere."
Those aren't the words of AFL-CIO leader Richard Trumka or President Obama. It may come as a surprise, but that's a quote from a 1981 speech given by Ronald Reagan.
To be sure, Reagan's relationship with unions was complicated, and, at times, quite contentious. But there's no question that he understood the value -- even necessity -- of collective bargaining. He remains the only president in history to have also served as the head of a union, the Screen Actors Guild.
REPUBLICAN SUPPORT
