New op-ed featured in Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee featured an op-ed, “Invest in California’s Future, Reinvest in Higher Education,” by California Coalition for Public Higher Education co-chairs Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine on January 30, 2016.  Here’s an excerpt:

In his State of the State address, Gov. Jerry Brown rightly stressed fiscal prudence and the financial uncertainties posed by future recessions, pension liabilities and unpredictable revenue levels. What he didn’t mention was the challenge posed by a growing skills gap that threatens California’s ability to compete and prosper in a changing economy.

As important as a substantial rainy-day fund is, a robust higher education system is critical to maintaining California’s fiscal health and weathering those inevitable economic storms.

For more than two decades, public higher education has been the neglected step-child in California’s budget process. That has begun to change in the last few years, but budgeteers need to step up their game a lot more.

Read the complete op-ed on the Sacramento Bee’s website.