UUP members once again proved that there is strength in numbers—and that our strength doesn’t go unnoticed by state legislators.

We certainly flexed our collective muscle at our annual Legislative Information Day event, on Feb. 24 in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany. More than 100 of you came to the capital to make UUP’s legislative priorities known to those who can make them reality.

Our members, some of who traveled hours by train, bus and car, made the most of their time in Albany. They met face-to-face with lawmakers from their districts and told them our concerns about proposed SUNY budget cuts. Legislators found members easily as the room was divided into seven geographic regions representing all 29 campuses.

This is the first time we did things this way, and it all worked out well. This set-up allowed UUPers more face time with legislators who represent them. And our members let them know what was on their minds.

We laid it on the line for legislators. We told them that Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to impose additional cuts on SUNY will further erode the University. Tens of thousands of students depend on SUNY for an affordable, quality education. An ever-growing number of workers who lost their jobs now look to SUNY to be retrained. Budget shortfalls will severely hamper our ability to meet those challenges.

Now that President Obama has signed the $787 billion federal stimulus package, the next step is obvious: to ensure that New York uses a portion of that money to fully fund SUNY. We are working with the governor’s office and the Division of the Budget to ensure some of the stimulus money is used to restore cuts made to SUNY and proposed health care cuts.

Using stimulus dollars to invest in SUNY and our teaching hospitals isn’t just the smart thing to do: it’s the right thing to do.

We told legislators to pass a progressive income tax and dump the governor’s plan to cut SUNY aid, including $25 million in reductions to SUNY’s teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, Stony Brook and Syracuse. The state can use part of the progressive income tax revenue and stimulus dollars to properly fund SUNY’s teaching hospitals.

Without increased aid, these hospitals may have to turn away the uninsured and underinsured—people who rely on the vital services these hospitals provide. We called for not only restoration of $25 million, but also a $40 million increase in the state hospital subsidy.

SUNY is still reeling from millions in cuts levied last year, which prompted canceled courses and increased class sizes, and forced some students to stay in college an extra year—an expensive proposition—to get the classes they need for graduation. We cannot and will not turn a blind eye to SUNY students, New York’s workforce of the future.

While we delivered our message successfully, it’s up to us to continue to keep bringing it to Gov. Paterson and state legislators until the state budget is passed. The governor pushed aside his March 1 budget deadline in February; a finalized budget is due April 1, but it could take longer for the Legislature to approve the budget.

Please take a few moments to visit the UUP Web site and fax a letter asking your legislators to support SUNY. You’ll find five letters to fax on the Web site, including one urging state representatives to protect and enhance the State University of New York in the upcoming budget discussions by enacting a fair and progressive income tax and by allowing our campuses to retain their tuition income. There’s too much at stake to let up now. We must make our voices heard that SUNY is the solution to the state’s weak economy.

The SUNY Board of Trustees was wise to appoint Nancy L. Zimpher as SUNY chancellor. Why? Here’s one reason: following the board’s unanimous vote, she pinned on a “SUNY is the Solution” button handed to her by Albany Chapter President Candace Merbler.

Zimpher, currently president of the University of Cincinnati, starts June 1. She has an impressive resume and her experience in leading Cincinnati through tough fiscal times will serve her well as SUNY chancellor.

She’s enthusiastic, she has a plan for SUNY and she’s a leader, something SUNY hasn’t had since trustees began searching for a new chancellor nearly two years ago. UUP stands ready to work with Zimpher to send the message that SUNY is indeed the solution to pull out of this economic downturn.

– Phillip H. Smith, President.