That State Budget Surplus: Why Not More $$ for UCs? (Sacramento: real estate, apartments)

[Ruth4Truth]

I was thinking about the controversial proposal regarding setting up state medical care for CA residents. Before getting carried away with new freebies, how about getting back to basics, by rolling back the budget cuts to higher education, and providing more funding to bring down tuition costs? Why hasn't that come up for serious discussion in Sacramento, or has it?

[kettlepot]

I've been thinking...

Why not more off-river water storage capacity for surge years?

Why not expansion of the I-5 between the Grapevine and Stockton to 3 lanes so there can be more separation between the cars and trucks?

Why not top off the state pension system - it's underfunded by 25%, so the state has some leeway on retirement plan contributions during bad years?

Why not more student housing at all of the state colleges that don't have enough housing for the students?

Why not better infrastructure in urban neighborhoods that were converted to apartments from houses, but without adequate parks, sidewalks, and water/sewer systems?

[Ruth4Truth]

YES!

[Ruth4Truth]

Well, speaking of the budget surplus and higher education, big news from Humboldt's Cal Poly:

Cal Poly Paid Triple Appraised Value in Land Purchase

University dubs property 'vital' but won't say what it will be used for after outbidding nonprofit

The parcel was apparently considered essential enough that the university made a cash offer of $5.4 million without an appraisal contingency — ultimately paying more than three-times the land's estimated value.

"This was the best price that could be negotiated for the property," Cal Poly Humboldt spokesperson Grant Scott-Goforth said in an email when asked about the price. "In addition, it is a strategically valuable property for the university, given our need for space to grow as part of our polytechnic transformation."

That transformation includes sweeping plans for a host of new academic programs, more than $680 million in infrastructure projects that will reshape the campus, a doubling of student enrollment over the next seven years and nearly $12 million for land acquisitions — one of many indications that more forays into the local real estate market are likely in Cal Poly Humboldt's future.

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/hu...t?oid=24512930


Let's hope the addition of plenty of student housing is part of the plan.