SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders have come up with a plan to freeze tuition rates at California's public universities if voters approve a tax hike in November.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said Monday that lawmakers will move a budget-related bill that appropriates an extra $125 million each for University of California and California State University in the 2013-14 academic year.

The money will be made available to the UC system if the board agrees not to increase fees this year. The CSU would have to rescind a $500 increase that is going into effect this fall.

Brown and Democratic lawmakers are relying on taxes to balance much of the state's $15.7 billion shortfall. The measure would raise the sales tax statewide and income taxes on high earners.

     Above are pieces from Art Pimentel's latest campaign. Pundits will certainly latch on to the new "people like us" slogan since Pimentel's job at Woodland Community College is funded by a federal subsidy. Pimentel may also have alienated many District 5 voters by characterizing incumbent Duane Chamberlain as a farmer who has taken "tax-payer funded" bail-outs and even insinuated that the supervisor has financial trouble. Farmers in the area often receive federal funds to help provide our nation's food at an affordable price.

     City councilman Art Pimentel, who is a candidate for District 5 county supervisor, stated in a new campaign piece that "the bank that held the mortgage on my home forced me to sell it at a loss when they refused to refinance it."

The reality is that responsible homeowners – who make much less than $143,000 a year...... Read More