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UUP is fighting to save SUNY services, using a multifaceted approach that includes a rally, legislative visits, and two statewide print and television advertising campaigns.
The rally was scheduled for Jan. 30 on the east steps of the state Capitol in Albany, where several hundred UUP members were to unite in support of a strong state budget for SUNY. UUPers will also be fanning out among state lawmakers’ offices on three Tuesdays this month—the 3rd, 10th and 24th. The union began its outreach visits in January.
UUP President Phillip Smith urges members—including those who haven’t engaged in outreach before—to hop on the buses that will take them from their campuses to Albany.
“We need a strong turnout to drive home the message to lawmakers that we are counting on their support to pass a budget that safeguards SUNY,” Smith said. He emphasized the need to hit the ground running, citing the governor’s goal of having the state budget approved by the Legislature by March 1. That explains the earlier start to the union’s outreach efforts during the week of Jan. 12, when members began visits with lawmakers in their district offices.
“We’re counting on you—our members—to help convince lawmakers of the critical need to support the governor’s plan to increase state support for SUNY and his $75 million supplemental aid package, and to advocate for a $40 million increase rather than a $25 million decrease in the state subsidy for SUNY’s three hospitals,” Smith said.
UUP supports revenue enhancement measures to help provide SUNY the financial base it so desperately needs. One of the proposed measures is a boost in the state income tax for those earning more than $1 million annually. While Gov. Paterson has not embraced the idea, UUPers will take their case for the tax change to lawmakers, armed with the results of a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing that 84 percent of those surveyed support higher taxes for the wealthiest New Yorkers.
In a departure from past years, UUP’s outreach days will focus on specific issues instead of being based on the type of SUNY institution. The list of issues matched with specific dates was still being finalized as The Voice went to press. Additional outreach days will be scheduled through the conclusion of the legislative session.
UUP is also planning a statewide media advertising blitz that will include two ads. One will promote an increase in the state subsidy for the SUNY hospitals, citing the dangers posed by the lack of proper funding for vital health care services. The other will campaign for continued access to high-quality public higher education through increased state support in order to fulfill SUNY’s core mission.
— Donald Feldstein