California's Taxes: What's the Problem? What's the Solution?
Gov. Jerry Brown and his union allies are asking California voters to raise sales taxes and income taxes on the rich, while Los Angeles attorney Molly Munger is pushing an alternative proposal for a broader increase in the income tax. The measures are part of an ongoing public debate that raises fundamental questions about the state's fiscal policies. Does the state government need more money? If so, who should pay? Should the rich pay more? Should corporate taxes be increased? Should the sales tax be broadened to include services? Does the current system need a drastic overhaul such as a value-added tax? Or will higher taxes stunt economic growth and mean less revenue in the long run? Are California's taxes already too high? Are taxes chasing away businesses and jobs? Will either one of the current proposals solve the state's fiscal problems, or is some other reform needed? We discuss the future of California's collective pocketbook. Details and panelists on the event page.
Monday, April 16
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
IGS Library, 109 Moses Hall,
UC Berkeley
Reception will follow -- Free and open to the public
Rep. Doris Matsui and other Dignitaries Dedicate a Renovated Matsui Center
After a significant renovation, the Matsui Center was formally dedicated in a ceremony on March 13 attended by Rep. Doris Matsui and other California dignitaries.
A major donation from the Robert T. Matsui Foundation for Public Service allowed the Matsui Center to double its physical size and create new office and collaboration areas, including a group study room for up to 24 undergraduates that features a large-scren TV, whiteboard and Wi-Fi.
More details are in this Berkeley NewsCenter article. See pictures of the event here.
Matsui Center Study Room is Now Open
Attention undergrads! The study room in the newly renovated Matsui Center is now open! Set up a reservation and come on over with your study group.
Amenities include:
- Large screen TV
- Whiteboard
- Conference table and chairs
- Wi-Fi access
Maximum capacity 20
Washington Intern Stays in the Capital
Cal senior Kansola Oshodi spent last fall working at the State Department as a Matsui Washington Intern - and found the experience so rewarding she extended her stay in the capital for another semester. This spring Oshodi is working as a staff assistant at the Department and studying at the University's Washington Center.
This spring two other Matsui Washington Interns are working and studying in the nation's capital. Ryan Barlow is interning at the Government Accountability Office and Sylvia Bruckback is interning at the Disability Rights Education Fund. For more on the Matsui Washington Internships, see the DC internship page.
Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows Start Search
The Matsui Center's Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows visited the Capitol in early March to begin their search for summer internships. Each year 30 students spend the summer working in California's capital to learn the ropes of politics and policy.
For more on the program, see the Cal-in-Sac page.
Election Year: The Obama Presidency & the 2012 Campaign
As President Obama seeks a second term, we examine his presidency and the 2012 election. Is the president to blame for the stagnant economy that has bedeviled his administration? Would any president have been able to engineer a speedier economic recovery? How has the president managed the foreign policy challenges of his time? Has he met the need for symbolic leadership from the president? And what of the Republicans who seek to replace him? Four years after a dramatic election that made American history, what should we expect from the election of 2012?
For more information, visit the event homepage.
Former Matsui Center Fellow Joins Legislative Staff
Hanna Snider, a two-time Cal-in-Sacramento Fellow who also served as Student Director of the program, started work March 12 as a legislative aide to Assemblyman Michael Allen. For a list of other former Matsui Center students now working in politics, see the Cal-in-Sac alumni page
Matsui Forum Examines 9/11 Legacy
Last fall the Matsui Forum examined the legacy of 9/11 on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy. Each year the Matsui Forum examines a major public issue. For more details, see the Forum page.
This notice required by the U.S. Department of Education:
The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through a Congressionally directed grant award. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
