Bill Clinton withdraws from UCLA commencement speech

Following up on promises to withdraw from speaking at UCLA graduation ceremonies if the UC system didn’t settle a labor dispute, Clinton finally sent word today that he was cancelling plans to attend the event scheduled for this Friday. Yesterday, former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez also cancelled a commencement speech scheduled for today at UC Davis, citing the same reasons. [via SacBee]

While tumultuous contract negotiations have stretched on for months, UC so far has managed to avoid a strike by its 20,000 employeess with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who complain of low wages and poor benefits.

AFSCME-represented workers include radiology, respiratory and operating room technicians; cooks, food servers and caterers; and custodians, groundskeepers and other maintenance workers in the UC health care system, which includes Santa Monica-UCLA and four other hospitals plus student health centers. [MyFoxLA]

In late May, the UC system filed a restraining order to prevent a planned two day strike. Before a judge could decide on the matter, the AFSCME cancelled the strike plans and returned to contract negotiations. However, UCLA, 20 students began a 3 day fast in support of the union workers on the same day the strike would have started.

[additional source: MercuryNews.com]

Schwarzenneger claims to have been pushing for Hollywood tax credits since taking office

An Associated Press article made a couple clarifications yesterday to recent news TV and film productions moving to New York and elsewhere. For one, an ABC spokeswoman said “no decision had yet been made” regarding “Ugly Betty” moving production to New York. And two, Gov. Schwarzenegger countered claims that he’s done nothing to retain film crews in California:

“I’ve been trying for four years, since I’ve gotten to Sacramento, to convince our lawmakers here that it is extremely important to give tax incentives to Hollywood.”

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, who is termed out of office next week, along with other LA based politicians claim that they’ve pushed for tax credits since 1998, only to always be shot down by the state senate. He blames the current logjam on the Governor:

“If the governor would propose ways to increase revenue to offset the credit, this would be a blockbuster hit in the Legislature,” Nunez spokesman Steven Maviglio said. “Unfortunately, the governor has never included funding in any of his budgets for the bill and has undermined the bipartisan support the credit has enjoyed by proposing a cuts-only budget.”

6 percent oil tax proposed to keep teachers in schools

To prevent teacher layoffs, L.A. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez is proposing a 6% tax hike on oil produced in California that would be diverted the help fill the gap in next year’s anticipated education budget cuts. An additional 2% tax would be placed on windfall oil profits. The new taxes could generate $1.2 billion annually for the state.

Gas, by the way, has hit the $4 mark in the Los Angeles area (and California Progress Report notes, “in the tiny coastal town of Gorda, about 40 miles south of Big Sur, the local gas station was selling gasoline for $5.19 a gallon over the weekend”), so its no surprise that the Sacramento Bee reports the bill is expected to fail when it hits the Assembly floor this week.

Probably a good time to also mention that support for a proposed high speed rail between Fullerton and Anaheim is gaining momentum. Californians will be able to vote for or against the project this November.