I am very disappointed in Governor Cuomo's budget as it relates to public higher education in the Empire State. While one can argue with the Governor's assertion that there are trend factors in some areas of the budget which have made increases automatic, there can be no doubt that institutions of public higher education have consistently seen nothing but cuts over the last few years. In addition, during the Pataki administration the same institutions experienced a disproportionate amount of retrenchment as well.

Everyone wants to tout the critical importance of a more educated workforce; they bemoan the fact that our numbers of graduates in the 25-34 year old cohort is dismal in comparison to other countries and to older age brackets. Furthermore, there is growing concern that it takes much longer for college students to graduate. Now the President's renewed focus on higher graduation rates will be dramatically undermined by the consistent under-funding of public higher education in this state.

We should be proud of the job that is being done at both CUNY and SUNY, but our community college tuitions are among the highest in the nation, and we expect these institutions to serve as the gateway to college for half the college students in this state. I have often joked that we better not improve our high school graduation rates, because there is no place for any more students in our public colleges. This budget turns that flip comment into a frightening reality.

We cannot continue to cut CUNY and SUNY and expect them to maintain quality and remain affordable. If all public college graduates are going to graduate college with a substantial educational mortgage, our entire economy is at risk. Two youngsters, each with student loan burdens of $60,000, or more from their college days – forget graduate school – are never going to be in a position to buy a house in this state, or raise a family here. The short-sighted cuts to public higher education will undermine our future economy by instituting an unbearable education tax burden on this generation of New Yorkers.

If continuing the high income earner surcharge extension is off the table, then the higher education tuition tax that this budget ensures, should likewise be eliminated in the 30 day amendments, by reducing the cuts to CUNY and SUNY.