FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFrom: Martinez, Eduardo [Eduardo.Martinez@asm.ca.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 3:16 PM
Subject: Press Release -- Assembly Higher Education Chairman Calls on CSU Board of Trustees to Delay Pay Increase

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Eduardo Martinez

September 18, 2007 916-319-2044

 

Assembly Higher Education Chairman Calls on CSU Board of Trustees to Delay Pay Increase

Citing an incomplete legislative audit into California State University compensation practices, Portantino urges Trustees to postpone a scheduled 12% salary increase for top executives

 

Sacramento – In a letter to Roberta Achtenberg, Chairwoman of the CSU Board of Trustees, Assembly Higher Education Chairman Anthony Portantino urged the Board to delay a proposed 11.8% increase to all the campus presidents, the CSU Chancellor, and his senior staff.

 

“There have been numerous newspaper stories, editorials, and legislative hearings that have been critical of the CSU’s executive compensation practices. As a result, last spring the Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved a request from Speaker Nuñez, Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, and me for an audit of the CSU’s executive compensation practices and policies. I respectfully request [the Trustees] delay the proposed 11.8% executive compensation increases until the State Auditor has completed her review,” Portantino wrote.

 

Portantino continued by saying, “While I absolutely support the CSU having the ability to attract and retain quality people to run the university, serious questions remain as to whether they have a truly open and deliberative process to determine what is fair compensation. Just last week, the Legislature approved two important measures aimed at shining some light on this process. And with an official state audit underway, this pay increase seems like a case of ‘too much, too soon.’”

 

This year, Portantino successfully navigated Assembly Bill 1413 through the legislative process, despite fierce opposition from the CSU. If signed by the Governor, AB 1413 would force the board to make executive pay decisions in public forums and requires any executive or college president who receives compensation from the public university to actually have to perform a service for this compensation.

 

Portantino was one of three signatories to a letter in February of this year urging the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to examine CSU compensation policies and agreements.

 

The CSU Board of Trustees will meet at California State University, Long Beach on September 18th and 19th to act on the proposed pay increases.

 

Assemblymember Anthony Portantino was elected to serve the 44th Assembly District in November of 2006. The district encompasses Altadena, Duarte, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena and Temple City. It also includes portions of Arcadia, Monrovia, Mayflower Village and the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods of Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park, Mount Washington and Eagle Rock.

 

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