SA President Calls for No Further Budget Cuts
(published this past Wednesday in the SUNY Oneonta State Times - @statetimes)
On Tuesday, October 6, Governor David Paterson executed, what I see as, the most cowardly action as governor so far. He announced another $500 million of cuts in state agency spending. The announcement of the cuts is no shock, as most New York citizens know their state is in financial trouble right now. What do I find particularly deplorable about this round of budget paring? It was an “Executive Order.” Paterson did not have the guts to face the state legislature first to ask for more cuts, especially to the state’s higher education funds; so, instead, he issued an order without leaving his office. The order can’t be countermanded by the House or Senate, leaving it as finality, not a debate.
And now, with the new “Deficit Reduction Plan” (DRP) released last week, Paterson is asking for another $24 million to leave SUNY’s coffers. ”Governor Paterson is pulling the rug from right underneath our feet,” said Melody Mercedes, president of the SUNY Student Assembly last week in a press release.
I think Mercedes has it exactly right. There is a constant complaint of a “brain drain” from New York State, that graduates of SUNY schools move away. I believe the governor’s rash and cowardly slicing of the SUNY budget has once again ensured that the drain continues. What impetus does a graduate have to stay in a state that is managed so poorly that it needs to balance its budget on the back of students and their loans? Why would a new degree holder decide to live in a place that has not decreased pet project or “pork barrel” spending a dime over the last two years, but finds it perfectly acceptable to reduce state support for state schools to incredibly low levels?
According to the New York Times, items still i the budget and not requiring cuts include a museum dedicated to bricks and brick making, the Soccer Hall of Fame right here in Oneonta (now operating on reduced hours and mostly closed), and the “Urban Yoga Foundation.” I understand the importance of legislators bringing some state money home to their respective territories, but I think New York has gone too far this time. According to a presentation at College Senate two weeks ago by College Vice President of Finance and Administration Leif Hartmark, state support for Oneonta has been on the decrease.
For the core part of the budget, state support is at approximately $17 million. In comparison, the presentation said that the Oneonta Auxiliary Services takes in about $17.4 million per year. How is it that dining and the bookstore supports this college more than the state itself? Still, SUNY Oneonta eems t obe one of the lucky ones; according to Hartmark, a solid savings and reserve program has allowed the administration to contain the number of program and staff cuts to zero. SUNY New Paltz started to phase out its nursing program and eliminate jobs after the last round of budget cuts in the spring; how hard hit will that school be now? How much longer can Oneonta last?
The Student Association has announced plans to hold rallies in the quad on Monday, October 26, and Thursday, October 29. I think that the rallies are only the first step - students need to contact their representatives and tell them that SUNY is one of New York’s most important assets, and that cutting it further is only going to cut the quality of life in New York.
[ Note - more information about the rallies is available at tinyurl.com/OneontaRally ]
