The proposed cuts currently in the 2008-2009 New York City executive budget, if enacted, would severely affect the City University of New York (CUNY) and the local community colleges too.
We agree with City Councilmember David Weprin, chair of the Finance Committee who said last week, “Turning our backs on CUNY, through these proposed cuts, is not the answer; it will only set back a system that has a long standing record of producing the most competitive students in the region.”
Queensborough C.C. President Eduardo Marti said, “I was shocked and dismayed because when the economy goes down it makes more sense to provide funding for those areas where people can get retrained and new jobs and add to the tax base. It’s very clear that if these cuts stay in place . . . they will affect a large number of students,” Marti added.
We fully support the colleges of CUNY and the community colleges too. They are a mainstay in providing a quality education in this, the most ethnically diverse borough in the country. Many students have families to support and can only attend at nights or weekends. They are the legacy of this educational system. They will be hurt by any reductions in classes and instructors precipitated by any budget shortfall.
Marti predicted that if the cuts go through he would have to reduce equipment by nearly $2 million and cut their budget for part-time faculty by $1 million as well. Marti even invoked the specter of tuition increases.
We think that these cuts must be removed from the table. Let the city use some of the City Council’s recently revealed “slush fund” to help fund the proposed $48.1 million in cuts to colleges.
Summer Jobs
Governor David Paterson announced on June 2, that state funding will be directed to state programs designed to provide jobs for teens this summer. Last year, similar programs employed nearly 26,000 youths.
These programs are designed, not only to help teens find a job, but to instill skills and the work ethic necessary to advance as they prepare for life after high school.
“Education does not end in the classroom. New York State needs to do everything it can to help create a strong and experienced workforce,” said Paterson. “It has the added benefit of putting sorely-needed payroll dollars into communities and businesses that need them the most,” Paterson pointed out.
Eligible youths must be between the ages of 14 and 20 to qualify for the 2008 Summer Youth Employment Program. Participating families must be recipients of public assistance, or have a family income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $35,200 for a family of three, as of June 1.
Jobs as diverse as journalism to horticulture will be available from May through September. New York City’s share of the state funding will be $19,665,668 out of a total of $35 million for the statewide program.
This is an excellent use of taxpayer dollars, that will enrich the state and city by imbuing teens with the confidence and knowledge to pursue their own career paths.
