Unfortunately, the decision makers in the Cal State University system don?t seem to have captured the spirit of Measure A.

Despite this state?s economic and the university systems? budget crises, the chancellor and governing board at CSU continue to award big pay increases to top administrators. The largess continues, even as those same officials edge toward capping student enrollment and slashing individual campus budgets.

While hopeful high school seniors are being told they may not get into a CSU school, raises of up to 19 percent have been approved for nine vice presidents at four of the system?s campuses. And while threatening budget cuts elsewhere, the chancellor and board approved the hiring of 11 new administrators, at salaries as high as ,225,000 a year.

What part of the phrase Bbudgetary crisisC do these officials not understand?

Santa Maria?s contribution to the California Senate, Abel Maldonado, called the planned raises Bdisgusting,C and we completely agree. Maldonado also displayed considerable disdain for CSU officials? efforts to get budget relief from the state, at the same time they reward themselves with higher salaries.

If anything, the CSU chancellor and board should be devising strategies to cope with the current funding crisis 8 even going so far as to reduce administrative staff and those salaries, so students hoping to get their higher education at a CSU campus can actually do so.

Sen. Maldonado describes this situation as disgusting. We would add the word Boutrageous.C

November 30, 2008