Yee Asks Steinberg to Immediately Take Up and Reject Confirmation of Crane
Regent Crane uses WI playbook to try taking away collective bargaining rights
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) asked Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) to allow the Senate to immediately take up and reject the confirmation of David Crane to the University of California Board of Regents.
Yee wrote in a letter to Steinberg, “Crane promotes a very dangerous agenda that would harm working families in California” and that “Crane should not be seated at the next Board of Regents meeting on March 15, 2011.”
Crane, a multimillionaire and resident of San Francisco, was appointed to the Board of Regents by form er Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Los Angeles) during his final days in office. Crane must be confirmed by the Senate by the end of the year in order to continue serving as a Regent for a 12-year term.
Last week, Crane took his cue from Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) and called for an end to collective bargaining rights for California’s teachers, nurses, firefighters, university employees, and other public sector workers. Crane argued in an op-ed published in the San Francisco Chronicle that “collective bargaining for public employees in California changed the balance of power and – most importantly – gave public employees power over their compensation and benefits.”
“Unlike David Crane, I believe public employees make an enormous contribution to our neighborhoods and our communities,” said Yee. “Taking away workers’ collective bargaining rights – which doesn’t help balance the budget or protect vital services – while giving big corporations tax breaks is simply unconscionable.”
The Board of Regents has long failed to represent the social, economic and ethnic diversity of the state; in fact, Crane represents the seventh investment banke r on the Board.
“Considering the Regents’ recent efforts to privatize the University of California, yet another wealthy investor for a Regent is the last thing we need to protect our public university,” said Yee.
On Friday, Yee was joined by hundreds of community members and public employees at the UC Medical Center in San Francisco to rally against Regent Crane’s recent attack on working families. Senator Yee announced plans to stop Crane’s confirmation and to help protect the vital services provided in our communities by public employees.
“While the Regents approve million dollar contracts for their top administrators, David Crane wants to take away the rights of working class families,” said Yee. “It is time for Mr. Crane to put away his Wisconsin playbook and come down from his ivory tower. California can do better than David Crane as a UC Regent.”
