Posted on 01/17/2006 6:10:05 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO (AP) - The state auditor will examine compensation practices at the University of California that allowed the system to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses and perks without public input, after a legislative committee ordered the review Tuesday.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angles, requested the audit, calling the university's actions all the more glaring because they came when student fees were being increased to close budget gaps.
"There has been a flagrant disregard for the use of taxpayer dollars by the UC president's office," Nunez said during an appearance before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. "They have raised fees on students year after year and then turned around and gave almost a billion dollars in raises, bonuses and other compensation to their top staff. Tax dollars and student tuition are being used to fill executives pockets without any oversight by the Regents or by the Legislature."
In stories published in November and December, the San Francisco Chronicle documented UC's spending of $871 million for bonuses, stipends, relocation packages and other cash compensation during the last fiscal year. More than 8,500 employees received at least $20,000 over their regular salaries.
UC officials have denied wrongdoing and defended their compensation practices as necessary to keep and attract top talent. UC spokesman Paul Schwartz said Tuesday that the university looked forward to the audit and pledged full cooperation.
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss with the state the serious challenges we face in providing competitive compensation to all our employees, including senior managers," he said.
The audit will cost about $224,000 and is expected to be completed the first week in May, state Auditor Elaine Howle said.
Identifying and accounting for all compensation to university employees will be among the audit's objectives. Auditors also will evaluate how well the university discloses its salary payments to state officials, the University Board of Regents and the public.
No one from the university's executive staff spoke during Tuesday's hearing. The 14-member committee acted without debate, unanimously approving the audit request, with two absences.
The audit is one of several investigations into the UC's compensation practices. The Senate Education Committee and Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education also are planning oversight hearings next month.
State Sen. President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, said the Senate wants "fairness and transparency" in the UC's compensation system.
Buahahahahaha
The UC and CSU are bastions of Liberal Politics. How funny one of their own -- a BIG Liberal -- is about to gore their ox.
Gee; sure sounds like a Culture of Coruption in academia/Liberaldom to me; but then, these are those Kalifornia Elitists, so it's routine....
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