Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s 2008-2009 proposed budget allocates funds for affordable housing, revitalization for upstate New York, free tuition for New York soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, support for the Walkway Over the Hudson bridge project and a $4 billion endowment for higher education funded through the state’s lottery system.
Assemblyman Joel Miller (R-Poughkeepsie) hosted a lightly attended budget forum at Marist College last week, prior to allegations about Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring came to light on March 11, to provide voters an opportunity to review details of the state’s proposed 2008-09 budget.
Miller, along with members of the Republican Ways and Means Committee, outlined major categories in Spitzer’s $124 billion spending plan on March 6, and portions of the picture they painted were quite bleak. Miller noted that New York has the 25th largest budget in the world. “California has twice the number of people, twice the immigrants, twice the number of poor,” he said. “In every way, they have twice what we have,” said Miller, but California spends less per capita than New York.
Other states, said Miller, are drastically cutting costs in order to balance their budgets. “In New Jersey, they decided the answer is to cut, and they’re slashing and burning,” he said. “We tend not to do that in New York State.”
The state’s education budget was a hot topic of discussion, and Arlington School Superintendent Frank Pepe was on hand to provide input on the state’s financial contribution to public schools. Miller agreed that New York public schools need financial help. “We have some serious problems with education funding,” said Miller, noting that a number of fixes have been discussed regarding school spending, including a cap on school taxes and creating an income-based system for collecting school taxes.
Calling caps on school tax “a very short, very limited solution to a complex problem,” Miller suggested other alternatives be considered. “Simple solutions to complex problems are more apt to fail. Caps truly scare me,” said Miller.
A better fix, he said, would be to increase state aid to schools. “Somehow the state has to assume a much larger percentage of the cost,” said Miller, who also noted that a downside exists if the state should pick up more of the cost. “How do local people have control?” asked Miller, if the state is paying the tab. “You don’t want to start that type of contest,” he added. Miller also noted that the debate regarding school spending has no political lines. “Oddly enough, this is not a Democratic or Republican battle,” he said.
From pre-K to college
Spitzer’s budget includes an increase of $88.9 million, for a total of $452 million, for universal pre-kindergarten. It also includes a $26.9 million increase in gross operating aid for City University of New York (CUNY) senior colleges, and assumes no tuition increase at CUNY senior colleges. CUNY community colleges may be hit with a reduction in aid, which may also result in an increase in tuition for those schools.
Students at Dutchess Community College may also see an increase in tuition next year as SUNY community colleges are proposed to see a minor reduction in state aid. Miller noted that SUNY senior colleges are not expected to experience a tuition increase. Miller said he would like to see SUNY college funding expand to allow for advanced research on SUNY campuses. “I’m hoping that someone will recognize the brainpower at New York state colleges,” said Miller. “You need to go beyond funding the minimal amount of education and basic research and expand research programs,” said Miller.
Margaret Pfaff, executive director of Literacy Connections, a nonprofit organization based in Poughkeepsie, expressed her concern that funding for social service programs, such as literacy-based programs, will be cut. “The greatest single factor of a child’s success is having literate parents,” said Pfaff, who asked Miller’s help in restoring state aid for social service programs. “I really hope you’ll take a look at that and try to restore funding for us,” she said.
Miller explained that over the next few weeks, members of the state assembly will be gathering at the budget table. “There will be a lot of consternation and unhappiness going on,” said Miller.
Other funding discussed
In the property tax area, the state budget draft allows for a rebate increase for senior citizens under the middle class STAR rebate program, but no rebate increase for homeowners who are basic middle class STAR recipients. Spitzer’s proposal also allows counties to impose a one-time increase of mortgage recording fees from $5 to $20, and an increase in page filing fees. In health care, Spitzer proposes moving pharmacy services for Family Health Plus from a managed care basis to a fee-for-service basis.
Spitzer is also proposing an economic development plan that would provide $1 billion to revitalize upstate New York, and allocating $200 million for a downstate revitalization fund to encourage business and community development in distressed downstate communities. Funding for the I Love New York program may also see an increase in funds from $16 million to $20 million.
Some attendees at the forum were not happy to hear that the state budget proposes removal of 92 school resource officers who serve as New York State Police. “Their presence is extraordinary,” said Pepe.
School resource officers, he said, have a “positive, strong rapport with students” and eliminate threats and violence on school campuses. “Resource officers present an affirmative presence to intruders,” said Pepe, who added that cutting resource officers from the district would be “a huge loss.”
Miller admitted that finding extra money to keep the resource officers in the budget may be daunting. “This is a terrible year,” he said. “In order to put money in for resource officers, the money has to come from another program.”
Miller was critical of Spitzer’s proposed increased spending plan. “The governor still continues to insist he’s not raising taxes … if you’re going to increase taxes, be honest about it,” he said.
Miller explained that legislative leaders will spend the next few weeks poring over the proposed budget. “Our goal is that there will be a consensus,” said Miller, who said he expects that conversations over spending will get heated, as there’s so little money to go around. “When there’s money to spend, why bother arguing?” he said.
As of press time, there was no word from state officials on how the ongoing Spitzer scandal would affect the state budget process.