The fact that you’re reading these words means that, thank God, I’ve made it through Valentine’s Day with only superficial damage to my psyche. (If you’d like to know how I managed it, the key is lots of Weezer albums.) My awe at having accomplished this feat is matched only by the sheer force of my incredulity at Gov. David Paterson and his spectacular display of failure to administrate responsibly.
You may have figured out by now that I’m referring to the upcoming tuition hikes and the recent hiring of Nancy Zimpher to the position of SUNY chancellor. A quick recap: We pay over $300 more per semester on tuition, and Zimpher inherits a public university system that’s experienced a $146 million budget cut this fiscal year alone. The bitch of it all is that Zimpher will be effectively paid over half a million dollars per year to do this job, which also includes the use of two apartments in Albany and New York City, and a SUNY vehicle.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound the least bit fishy.
Paterson’s strategy for battling New York’s economic problems seems to consist of leeching as much money as he can from those who can’t pay for the state, while giving the money in creative ways to administrators who are economically stable. Because, y’know, the other, logical way is totally boring.
The state can’t afford to pay these kinds of salaries to public servants right now. The budget is severely unbalanced and jobs are flying out the window and making disgusting sounds as they hit the pavement.
Paterson has spent half of his time in office trying to balance the budget in various ineffectual and borderline idiotic ways. This year’s budget includes a tax on movie tickets and cigars, not to mention that fountain of comedic possibilities, the obesity tax. He’s also had better ideas, like his bid to slash budgets statewide by roughly 3.5 percent and threats of a hiring freeze. The only thing he’s never mentioned is salary cuts, for himself or any member of his administration. Governor, this one’s for you: If you want to save the economy, don’t pay yourself so much. Don’t pay your lieutenant governor as much. And for God’s sake, don’t pay this Zimpher woman half a million bucks. I mean, seriously, I’m angry I even need to point this out.
If the big brains in Albany really think that they can rely on the students of SUNY to support the state — or anything more than the ramen noodle industry — they need to think their economic plans through more carefully. There’s a disconnect from reality somewhere, and it sure as hell isn’t on our end. Clearly, the governor is asleep at the switch.