President Dynes Video Letter
February 2008
Hi. Thank you for tuning in.
I want to talk to you today about a pretty serious issue that we’re all facing. And that is the budget – the budget for the state of California and the budget for the University of California in the next year.
As you know, the state is facing serious budget problems and it’s projected now that there will be at least a $14.5 billion budget deficit in the state. The governor has asked in his proposed budget that the University of California take on a $427 million budget cut in the next budget year. I would like to ask you to help me in the process.
You all know, as I have been saying for many years, the University of California is an investment, not an expenditure. And I would like you to help me make that point. It’s an investment in our innovation, in our jobs. It’s an investment in our health care and our future quality of health. It’s an investment in the environment that we face and the crises that we face in the environment. But most of all, it’s an investment in people; it’s an investment in educating young people who will be the next generation leaders for the state of California. It truly is an investment.
And so I will ask you to be an advocate with me for the investment in the University of California. When you’re finished looking at this, I’ll ask you to please go to www.ucforcalifornia.org. It’s a website that will allow you to speak to your local representatives, your state representatives and your federal representatives, expressing your own views about the University of California. If you’ve already signed up, go on that website to tell a friend and have a friend advocate for us as well.
This, I think, is the only way that we can convince our leaders, our legislators, that the time of budget crisis is the time to invest – not the time to reduce our budgets. Thank you for clicking on. I will keep you abreast of how these budget hearings and discussions proceed in the future.
Thank you.
