UUP Binghamton

We all know there are enough budget problems to go around for everybody. Local, state, federal, business and family budgets are all taking a hit at the moment. While I can’t balance your household budget, I can provide some background and projections of NYS’ budget and its potential impact on SUNY.

Attached are two pdf documents, “Financial Issues” and “Operating Budget Overview.” Both of these documents review past decisions by the state and SUNY to deal with budget reductions and detail the specific impact on each campus. Based upon SUNY Board of Trustees approved Financial Plans, Binghamton needed $150.6 Million for 2009-2010 yet received only $142 Million, an $8.6 Million or 5.7% shortfall. SUNY could have, if it had utilized options the NYS Legislature had provided, reduced/removed that $8.6 Million impact on Binghamton. They decided not to exercise those options. We are past that now and need to look to the next few years.

Current, early October 2009, NYS budget projections include the following:

• FY 2009-10 (current year) - $2.1 B (may rise to $3.1 B) Deficit
• FY 2010-11 - $4.6 B (may rise to $9 B) Deficit
• FY 2011-12 - $13.2 B Deficit
• FY 2012-13 - $18.1 B Deficit

By comparison, during FY’s 2008-10, there was a combined deficit of $20 B in NYS. Note that the federal stimulus funds will end in 2011-2012. In addition, the ‘millionaire’s tax’ will end in 2012-13. All of this is bad news unless the economy in NYS and the country turns around within the next 18 months. If that happens, then growth will return to tax revenues and SUNY might actually receive some additional funds.

Current, early October 2009, SUNY budget data include the following:

• $411 M in General IFR accounts (this does not include funds in grant generated IFR accounts)
• $78 M in the Stabilization Fund
• $10+ M in the System Administration Fund

The general IFR accounts are growing by approximately $40 M each year. In addition, there is an additional $160+ M in indirect “off the line” accounts.

Based upon past experience and assuming the state treats SUNY the same way it has in the past, we can expect cuts in the 2010-11 FY of between $100-170 M. You can add negotiated salary increases to that. Compare that to the $148 Million mid-year cut in FY 2008-09 and the $175 M cut in FY 2009-10. The fat at the campuses is long gone. The muscle has been carved up. It looks like the bones are going to be removed if these cuts are allowed to stand.

So, what can you do? If you believe access to NYS’ high school graduates to public higher education should be maintained at an affordable level, you should contact your state legislators and the governor and tell them that. If you believe quality needs to be enhanced, you should contact your state legislators and the governor and tell them that. If you believe that SUNY, and Binghamton in particular, has a role to play in economic development in the region and the state, you should contact your state legislators and the governor and tell them that. If you believe we have a role to play in increasing knowledge and preparing others to continue that process, you should contact your state legislators and the governor and tell them that.

If you want this campus to survive, you must contact your state legislators and the governor and tell them that. And, you can’t do this just once; you must keep reminding them again and again. Use UUP’s “Call to Action,” http://www.uupinfo.org, and follow the link. In addition, you may wish to call or write your NYS legislators directly.

Based upon our records, the NYS legislators who have the most UUP members as constituents are:

Assembly (name, district #, counties represented, website):

• Clifford Crouch, 107, Broome/Chenango/Delaware, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=107
• William Magee, 111, Madison/Otsego, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=111
• William Magnarelli, 120, Onondaga, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=120
• Gary Finch, 123, Broome/Cayuga/Chenango/Cortland/Tioga, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=123
• Barbara Lifton, 125, Cortland/Tompkins, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=125
• Donna Lupardo, 126, Broome, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=126
• Thomas O’Mara, 137, Chemung/Schuyler/Tioga, http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=137

Senate (name, district #, counties represented, website):

• James Seward, 51, Broome/Greene/Herkimer/Otsego/Schoharie/Tompkins, http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/james-l-seward
• Thomas Libous, 52, Broome/Chenango/Tioga, http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/tom-libous
• George Winner, 53, Chemung/Schuyler/Steuben/Tompkins/Yates, http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/george-h-winner-jr

We look forward to your assistance as we all make the argument to protect SUNY and our campus.