Oppose Midyear Cuts to Education and Health Care

Level of Government: State

As your constituent, I am sending you this letter to express my opposition to the governor's proposed plan to cut K-12 education, higher education and health care spending in the current year by more than $1 billion. These job-killing cuts will slow New York's economic recovery and do irreparable harm to students and the neediest New Yorkers. NYSUT is calling on you, our legislative leaders, to pursue more constructive solutions.

Midyear cuts would not only be painful, but extremely disruptive to our children's education. Governor Paterson has announced a proposal to cut $686 million from public schools in the middle of the school year as a means to rescue the state from its financial problems. This would pass along the state's problems by creating problems at the local level. This type of dramatic midyear cut would disrupt the school year already in progress, compound years of underfunding, and threaten recent statewide test score gains.

In the 2007-08 school year, the Legislature was successful in enacting a new school aid formula, Foundation Aid, that was intended to provide schools with stable and predictable state aid increases over a phase-in period. Last year, we suffered a setback when Foundation Aid was frozen due to the State's poor economic condition. Further interruption of funding for education will postpone our shared progress in ending the achievement gap and providing all children a sound basic education.

In the current year, programs and staff would be eliminated at a time when the unemployment rate in New York is high and climbing higher. Our colleges and universities are bursting at the seams with record enrollment and cuts would close off access to thousands of qualified applicants. Additionally, these cuts would place significant pressure on local property taxpayers at a time when state leaders are attempting to lessen the burden. NYSUT and our members are counting on you to stand strong and advocate for the sustainable funding necessary to continue closing the gap.

Midyear cuts to education and health care are the wrong choice to help us out of this economic crisis. This is not the time to walk away from New York's commitment to schoolchildren, college students and our most vulnerable populations. It is through investment in education that New York state will strengthen its economic global competitiveness as well as enrich the cultural and economic life of all communities in the state. I urge you as my representative to reject these cuts. I am confident that your leadership will guide us through this difficult time in the most fair and thoughtful way possible.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here