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Sunshine covered the Capitol in Albany as UUP members and thousands of representatives from dozens of groups came together for a rally Nov. 18 against state budget cuts. But shortly after the rally began, storm clouds gathered, much like the financial gloom that has enveloped Albany in recent months, followed by a snow shower. But the foul weather failed to deter the 1,200 people who assembled.
“Rain. Sleet. Snow. Budget cuts have got to go,” chanted the crowd, including more than 50 UUPers who joined the rally organized by the One New York Fighting for Fairness Coalition and the Better Choice Budget Campaign, a coalition of more than 200 groups consisting of unions and human services organizations.
“We’re here to talk about fiscal fairness, responsibility and our future, and the State University of New York is part of that future,” UUP President Phillip Smith said as he took the podium at the rally. “The $148 million in state budget cuts to SUNY hurt our children and our future. Because of these cuts, and the threat of more cuts in the future, our kids may not have access to an affordable, high-quality college education.”
Smith then posed the question, “Should New York state be closing the door to opportunity for college students?” drawing a resounding “No” from the crowd.
Smith hoisted a UUP poster that read “SUNY is the $olution” before he left the podium to the cheers of the throng.
The crowd blew their whistles, shook their noisemakers and waved a number of signs, including those that read “Fighting for Fairness,” and “Make Better Budget Choices,” as nearly two dozen speakers took turns asking the governor and state lawmakers to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers from the effects of budget cuts.
NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi also spoke out against the governor’s proposed mid-year budget cuts to public education, saying schoolchildren should not be made to suffer.
“It is a time to say, stop and think about the future of our state,” Iannuzzi said.
Other speakers included leaders of the Hunger Action Network, the Empire Justice Center, and the Working Families Party, all calling upon the state to protect vital services for the neediest New Yorkers.
The rally played out as state lawmakers assembled that same day for a scheduled special session to act on $2 billion in spending cuts proposed by the governor to deal with a $1.5 billion deficit. But the session never got off the ground, as the governor and legislative leaders engaged in a 90-minute verbal sparring match in public, failing to reach agreement on a package of budget cuts.
While the advocates won at least a temporary reprieve, UUP and the other organizations had their eye on Dec. 16, when the governor was scheduled to release his proposed budget and a likely fresh round of budget cuts.
— Donald Feldstein