Recently the state Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 190, a measure that would make CSU executives and an administrator’s pay and perks public knowledge, and we could not be more pleased. The bill is not a law just yet; the state Assembly needs to pass it and the Governator needs to sign it. However, the Senate’s unanimous passing shows that others around the state are as sick of the handouts for CSU executives and higher fees for students as we are.

Senator Leland Yee, a Democrat representing San Francisco and San Mateo, authored the bill in hopes of bringing more transparency to CSU executives and their pay. The best part of SB 190 is that it closes a loophole that currently allows CSU trustees to hand out higher salaries to administrators and other such bonuses without making it open to public debate. Last year, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that about $4 million in 10 years had been given away in perks and as compensation to CSU officials who were leaving and the public was never made aware or able to review the case.

Yee’s proposal comes in the wake of a California Faculty Association threatening to walk out on the job and Sacramento State’s faculty overwhelmingly saying that they have no confidence in President Alexander Gonzalez. SB 190 is exactly what the CSU needs. Yee hopes that it will restore public trust in the CSU system.

The constant fee hikes and overcrowded classrooms seem to burn a little more this time. This newest revelation of more of our money being flashed around by other people supposedly representing us is unethical and disrespectful. It is shameful to the foundation of public education.

The Chronicle has made some sobering discoveries. Executives with little or no experience received lifetime tenure faculty jobs. The Chronicle also discovered that CSU executives remained on the payroll after leaving for other jobs or retiring. But so far, the award for most despicable CSU executive is shared by Peter Smith of CSU Monterey Bay and CSU Executive Vice Chancellor David Spence. Both took paid transitional leaves in 2005 and still received their six-figure salary from the CSU even though they were making that much working for another college.

But there is more good news. Just last month the San Francisco Chronicle reported that state auditors would investigate the pay and perks of top executives in the CSU system. Just like the state Senate, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee voted unanimously as well. The audit, called for by Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, will encompass the 23-campus CSU system. There is no timetable for the completion of the audit but it will be conducted just like the audit currently being conducted on the UC system.

We applaud the legislative action being taken to protect both the students of the CSU and the image of the system in general. Hopefully, the gravy train that we all supply the coal for has made its last stop.