College Unions Furious: Pataki's Education Vetoes Draw Fire

College Unions Furious
Pataki's Education Vetoes Draw Fire

Reaction to Governor Pataki's budget vetoes from educational union and city leaders was mixed last week, with relief over the Governor's approval of $11.2 billion in school construction aid to the city tempered by frustration over his axing property and child tax credits and reducing aid for higher education. "These are vetoes I'd have preferred not to make," the Governor said at an April 12 news conference. He estimated his budget at $112.8 billion, though he did not rule out further negotiation with the Legislature.

GOVERNOR PATAKI: Some raves, some pans.

UFT Ambivalent

"While we are pleased the Governor signed the school construction plan for New York City and much of our state aid plan," United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in an April 12 statement, "his vetoes do not reflect the priorities of New York's working families, who would have been helped by property tax relief, elimination of the marriage tax penalty and the creation of a child tax credit for all of New York's school-age children - not just some of them."

Her counterpart at New York State United Teachers, Richard C. Iannuzzi was harsher, speculating that the Governor's budget choices were made with a potential presidential run in mind and wondering if the Governor would rather be in "New Hampshire, maybe, or Iowa.

"These are the desperate acts of an administration yearning for relevance," Mr. Iannuzzi said in a statement. "The Governor has chosen to deny New Yorkers' basic needs in order to satisfy his own base political needs."

Hits Child-Credit Veto'

The NYSUT leader channeled Billy Joel to criticize the Governor's decision to torpedo the per-child tax credit.

"It's clear the Governor is not in a New York state of mind," Mr. Iannuzzi said. "If you're a homeowner with two school-aged children, the Governor just took $1,000 out of your pocket."

RICHARD C. IANNUZZI: Pataki shafts citizens. But Mayor Bloomberg, who had been critical of the Governor during his drive to secure more state funding for city schools, was effusive in his praise for the executive budget.

"This is a big step forward in our plans for the largest school construction program in the city's history," the Mayor said in a statement. "On behalf of current and future public school students, I want to thank Governor Pataki for his leadership today."

 

Quinn: Can Move Forward

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn echoed the Mayor's sentiments.

"Through the leadership of the State Assembly, and the recent actions of the Governor and State Senate, we now have the means to move forward in our five-year plan to lower class sizes, to create libraries and science labs, and to provide our children with an education that will make them the leaders for a new generation," Ms. Quinn said in a statement.

But Geri D. Palast, executive director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, whose successful 1993 lawsuit required state lawmakers to increase education aid, was not satisfied.

The budget calls for only a $400 million increase in school operating aid for the city. That falls far short of the minimum $4.7-billion increase mandated in last month's State Supreme Court Appellate Division ruling on the CFE lawsuit accusing the state of failing to provide the city with "a sound, basic education."

"Although Governor Pataki signed a budget into law today that could seal the victory for CFE on school capital construction allocations, his executive budget still fell far short of compliance with court orders for operating aid," Ms. Palast said in a statement. "We are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure 100 percent compliance with CFE on a statewide basis by the end of this legislative session."

SUNY Union Steamed

MAYOR BLOOMBERG: Big help in construction.

The decision to slash $500 million from the State University of New York's budget also drew fire from the United University Professions, which represents SUNY's faculty and staff.

"Total disaster," UUP President William E. Scheuerman said in an April 13 phone interview. "The Legislature acted responsibly in recognizing that SUNY has been chronically underfunded, and the Governor undermined that. The consequences are far-reaching. Thousands of students will be denied admissions because we will not have enough Professors to teach them."

He estimated that with eight dollars generated for the state by every dollar spent on higher education, the decision will cost the state $4 billion.

Professional Staff Congress President Barbara Bowen, whose union represents City University of New York faculty and staff, denounced the Governor's decision to cut more than $300 million in CUNY's funding and called for "the Legislature to override [the vetoes] quickly and in full."

'CUNY Can't Survive'

"CUNY cannot survive as a serious university without the additional funds voted by the Legislature," Ms. Bowen said in an e-mail. "The million of dollars Pataki vetoed in CUNY operating aid and the more-than $300 million in capital funds are not for luxuries - they are for the very survival of the City University. After years of fiscal starvation, CUNY cannot continue to thrive as a viable university unless there is new money for hiring full-time faculty and replacing buildings in dangerous states of disrepair."

WILLIAM SCHEUERMAN: 'Undermined higher ed.' The state's largest public-employee union, the Civil Service Employees' Association, also slammed the Governor for his budget cuts.

"Governor Pataki apparently wants to leave office as he came in - out of touch with the needs of working New Yorkers," CSEA President Danny Donohue said in a statement. "The Governor came into office with a slash-and-burn ideology that did not square with the responsibility of leading New York. Either the Governor has not learned, or he is now being misguided by ambition to make decisions that are not in the interest of New Yorkers."