Students paraded signs reading, “Banks got bailed out, Schools got sold out” around the library fountain Wednesday in protest of recent budget cuts to the State University of New York system.
The Binghamton Education Workers Union, which consists of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty from Binghamton University, hosted the rally to send a message to the state government that the cuts will not be tolerated.
“Budget cuts are bad for students. If you look at the priorities of the state … they are wrong. The economic argument of fiscal responsibility is wrong,” said Dan Johnson, a graduate student in the history department.
Approximately 20 people participated in the rally, which lasted about an hour.
According to Johnson, the Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU) has been operating without a contract since July 1, 2007. In addition to having no contract, graduate students in New York have a stipend that is substantially less than those of graduate students in New Jersey, a statistic that is tied to the budget cuts, he said.
“The SUNY system offers a quality and affordable education. Graduate students need to be taken into consideration,” Johnson said.
Last month, New York Gov. David Paterson ordered a $500 million cut in current-year spending for state agencies — $90 million of which will be cut directly from SUNY.
According to a letter to agency commissioners from the New York state Budget Director Robert L. Megna, sent during after Paterson’s initial announcement, the most recent cuts in agency expenditures are necessary because of a current-year deficit of at least $2.1 billion.
The cut reflects an approximate 11 percent decrease across the board from each state agency’s non-personal services budget, according to a press release from the office of the governor. The $500 million cut for the 2009-10 year, when combined with the 10 percent across-the-board reductions of the 2008-09 year, would save the state an annual recurring amount of $1.5 billion.
“It seems like the New York budget is geared to cover the deficit by the people who are the most powerless: students. We are trying to raise awareness to this,” said Carol Linskey, another graduate student in the history department at BU. “It is the best for the state if we give the most help to the students.”
According to Linskey, it is important that students have help because they are the state’s future middle class, who will later fill the state budget when they join the work force.
“It is in the best interest of the state to help the students. We are fighting for the interest of the American way,” she said.
The Workers Union has tried petitioning to the government, sending letters and e-mails, but none of these forms of communication have gotten their message across, said junior Craig Reynolds, a member of the Binghamton Education Workers Union.
“Cuts mean fewer jobs, [leaving] others overworked,” said Joe Golowka, a graduate student and teaching assistant in the history department.