Spring Break
The Daily OrangeStudents protest SUNY budget cuts on ESF campus
By Melissa Tinklepaugh
Posted: 11/2/09, 12:47 PM EST Section: News
A small group of students wore bandages on the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's Quad on Friday afternoon. One student wrapped her head in medical tape. They were complaining of cuts, but they weren't injured: they wore the bandages and medical tape to protest $90 million in cuts to the SUNY budget.
Students turned out at about 3:30 p.m. Friday to call on state representatives to review the cuts. The demonstration was spearheaded by the Syracuse University/ESF Chapter of New York Public Interest Research Group.
Gov. David Paterson mandated Oct. 6 that SUNY cut $90 million from its budget by the end of the fiscal year on March 31. All state agencies are facing about 11 percent cuts to their budgets to reach Paterson's goal of $500 million in budget reductions statewide, said Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state budget office.
Cesar Perez, a graduate student in environmental policy at ESF and a participant in Friday's protest, became a volunteer for NYPIRG last month to gain experience in lobbying. He said he finds the SUNY cuts to be misdirected.
"From my perspective, if you want to cut a budget, the last thing you try to cut is higher education and health. It's not the first thing you cut," Perez said. "I think it's not wise cutting money from education."
Protestors carried clipboards with phone numbers for local state representatives, and for the switchboard to the state legislature in Albany, so New York residents could contact their representatives at the event, said Alejandro Fernandez-Lovo, NYPIRG project coordinator and the event organizer.
The protestors generated at least 28 calls to state representatives at the event and at a tailgate party afterward.
NYPIRG is protesting the SUNY budget cuts because they will directly affect students, Fernandez-Lovo said.
About eight student volunteer participants held signs and talked to students passing by throughout the rainy hour, encouraging them to make calls.
"Even if you have two students, one student or even 30, just having the message out is important because one voice could be the voice for a million," Fernandez-Lovo said.
NYPIRG wants Paterson to try to put at least part of the $90 million back in the budget, Fernandez-Lopez said.
He said he is concerned that cuts to SUNY will cause a "brain drain" in New York. Money spent on higher education would bring more money back to the state because the SUNY system prepares many future workers, he said.
"We need the trained work force because already our work force right now is getting old, and we're the next ones," Fernandez-Lovo said. "If we're not going to be trained, who's going to be taking over?"
meltink@syr.edu
Students turned out at about 3:30 p.m. Friday to call on state representatives to review the cuts. The demonstration was spearheaded by the Syracuse University/ESF Chapter of New York Public Interest Research Group.
Gov. David Paterson mandated Oct. 6 that SUNY cut $90 million from its budget by the end of the fiscal year on March 31. All state agencies are facing about 11 percent cuts to their budgets to reach Paterson's goal of $500 million in budget reductions statewide, said Matt Anderson, a spokesman for the state budget office.
Cesar Perez, a graduate student in environmental policy at ESF and a participant in Friday's protest, became a volunteer for NYPIRG last month to gain experience in lobbying. He said he finds the SUNY cuts to be misdirected.
"From my perspective, if you want to cut a budget, the last thing you try to cut is higher education and health. It's not the first thing you cut," Perez said. "I think it's not wise cutting money from education."
Protestors carried clipboards with phone numbers for local state representatives, and for the switchboard to the state legislature in Albany, so New York residents could contact their representatives at the event, said Alejandro Fernandez-Lovo, NYPIRG project coordinator and the event organizer.
The protestors generated at least 28 calls to state representatives at the event and at a tailgate party afterward.
NYPIRG is protesting the SUNY budget cuts because they will directly affect students, Fernandez-Lovo said.
About eight student volunteer participants held signs and talked to students passing by throughout the rainy hour, encouraging them to make calls.
"Even if you have two students, one student or even 30, just having the message out is important because one voice could be the voice for a million," Fernandez-Lovo said.
NYPIRG wants Paterson to try to put at least part of the $90 million back in the budget, Fernandez-Lopez said.
He said he is concerned that cuts to SUNY will cause a "brain drain" in New York. Money spent on higher education would bring more money back to the state because the SUNY system prepares many future workers, he said.
"We need the trained work force because already our work force right now is getting old, and we're the next ones," Fernandez-Lovo said. "If we're not going to be trained, who's going to be taking over?"
meltink@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Bob
posted 11/02/09 @ 2:14 PM EST
They all say "SUNY is the solution"...what a crock! I've got news for you, the SUNY we all know today is the product of one Governor Nelson Rockefeller's bold expansion efforts. (Continued…)
Post a Comment