Layoffs possible, CFA warns

The California Faculty Association is warning students about possible course cutbacks and faculty layoffs that might occur if the state does not receive $2.8 billion expected from the federal government for immigration expenditures.

William Crist, CFA political action chairman, said that if predicted state revenues are not high enough to cover the needs of the budget, the state Legislature will have to decide whether to increase taxes or cut spending to balance its budget.

If this can't be accomplished by March 15, Crist said , cuts will be made across the board. The California State University system is receiving less support today than it did four years ago, according to CFA's governmental relations office, and most of the support this year is from the student's 10 percent fee increase.

The state's legislative analyst estimated 30 percent to 50 percent cutbacks in unprotected state programs. Sixty percent of the state programs in California are protected from budget cuts by the state constitution. The two major unprotected programs are higher education and corrections.

"In the 1995-96 budget, hard choices will be made between prisons and universities," Crist said. "We're concerned that we're going to come up with the short end of the stick."

The amount dispersed for corrections increased four times more than higher education's allocation in the 1994-95 state budget.

Michael Hassul, CFA chapter president, said the chance of the state receiving even half of the approximate $3 billion needed is unlikely.

"The best-case scenario is that the federal government will give us $1 billion," Hassul said.

Hassul said the anticipated cutbacks and fee increases are inevitable, but they will probably not occur until 1995-96.

"We can't tell the depth of the cuts, but the cuts are coming," Hassul said. "There's no doubt about it. The extent of the cuts will depend on the results of the election."

Robert Gurian, CFA legislative advocate, said he agrees that cuts are inevitable and that the figures released by CFA are "absolutely accurate."

However, Colleen Bentley-Adler, spokeswoman for the CSU Chancellor's Office, called the CFA figures "totally erroneous."

"(CFA) is needlessly scaring students, faculty and staff," Bentley- Adler said.

Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson said he does not anticipate major problems for the campus and said he is optimistic about the future.

"I do not anticipate any budget cuts, layoffs or reductions in student services here," Maxson said.

Crist, however, said the 1995-96 budget does not look good, and he offered this advice to students: "Students are well advised to plan carefully, because they won't be able to count on as many available sections for the 1995-96 school year."