Budget Reductions Hit SUNY Hard

I just received an email from the President of Binghamton University asking for help in fighting the budget reductions.  President Lois De Fleur writes:

I am writing to you about Governor David A. Paterson's proposed budget reductions for this year and the impact on you and the University. Currently, the governor proposes for the state to retain 90 percent of the $310 tuition increase you just paid and to implement additional cuts to SUNY's budget. Similarly, the governor’s 2009-10 budget proposes to take 80 percent of the $620 tuition increase and to implement even more budget reductions for SUNY. If these budgets are approved, it will mean larger class sizes, fewer class sections, the loss of courses critical to degree programs and fewer full-time faculty due to hiring freezes. This is unfair to you and your families. During the next two weeks, the legislature and the governor will be negotiating issues for the 2008-09 budget followed by considerations of the 2009-10 budget, so there is still time to voice your concerns and try to change these proposals. We need your help.

It Basically is going like this: To make up for some of the budget gap, SUNY tuition is being raised and the state is taking a cut of it. This creates a tax on students to go to SUNY. So 10% of the increase will be going to the state this year and 20% next. Students across the state need to contact their local representatives to fight this and tell the legislatures that all of the increase needs to go to SUNY. Senators contact information can be found here and assembly can be found here.