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January 26, 2010

College costs focus of budget fights

By MICHAEL GORMLEY

ALBANY — The state Legislature's Democratic leaders vowed to fight Gov. David Paterson's proposed cuts to public colleges and student aid programs as the budget debate intensified Tuesday.

Legislative leaders targeted Paterson's proposed funding cuts of more than 4 percent to the State University of New York and the City University of New York, a cut to financial aid by $75 per student under the Tuition Assistance Program and flat funding for programs that help minority students get into and stay in college.

"As if subtracting from the greatest investment the state can make in its future makes sense," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan. In December, Paterson spoke of a high-tech future based on innovation, then earlier this month in his budget proposed cuts to SUNY and CUNY, Silver said.

Senate majority Conference Leader John Sampson drew cheers when he told the higher education advocates that neither he nor President Barack Obama would have risen to leadership if it weren't for public education and programs that help minorities.

Neither Silver nor Sampson would say if it's feasible to turn back all of Paterson's cuts in a final budget due April 1.

But Sampson's opposition to two of Paterson's revenue raisers would limit funds that could be used to restore cuts. He said he opposes a Paterson proposal to increase the state cigarette tax by $1 per pack and to tax soda syrup. Paterson would use almost all of the tax revenue for anti-smoking programs and to fight obesity.

The taxes would raise $650 million in 2010-11 and $1.175 billion the following year, while reducing smoking and childhood obesity and the related costly heath care, Paterson said.

Sampson said he didn't want to increase fees or taxes, while Silver said he wouldn't rule anything out.

Hours later, Paterson defended his budget in a live webcast with opinion writers and editors of newspapers from Buffalo to the Hudson Valley and from Binghamton to Watertown. The program was scheduled to be shown Tuesday night on WXXI public broadcasting in Rochester.

"The hope for New York is that by making the tougher choices this year, we will already start to see the benefit next year," Paterson said.

He then blamed the Legislature and most lawmakers, many of whom he served with for more than 20 years as a senator.

"I do feel a sense of betrayal," Paterson said. Most lawmakers bent to special interests when he needed them to close a budget gap in December, he said, then denied him the authority to make the spending cuts to education and health care he said was needed. The Legislature's failure to address that means a $1 billion higher deficit this year, he said.

The higher education cuts are necessary because the state is "literally right now living on the margins of our means," Paterson said. But he highlighted the legislative and policy changes he is proposing for SUNY and CUNY to give the campuses more autonomy, including the ability to set their own tuition and foster more research that will create jobs.

"We have the tools that can actually reverse our fortune," he said. "In order to do that, we have to do what so many families are doing: Tighten our belts to get through this period. It's woefully difficult, but it will be richly rewarding."

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