Gov. Andrew Cuomo addressed students and local community members in Schine Underground on Wednesday with his plans for a road to recovery.

Cuomo’s presentation on his 2011-12 executive budget included statistics about New York’s current deficit, as well as his vision for the future and how he wishes to close the deficit without imposing new taxes on residents. 

Cuomo said the state is spending too much money with the $10 billion deficit. Families and businesses have had to make cuts during the financial crisis, he said, and the government should do so as well.

‘You can’t spend more than you make in life,’ Cuomo said. 

He said he wants this life lesson to carry over to the New York state Legislature, as well as to his three daughters. 

One aspect of his budget includes tax and property tax burdens. He said these burdens are part of the reason why 2 million people have left New York. The tax burden is $4,845, which is more than 60 percent higher than the national average, he said. New York’s property tax burden is $13,755, which is 96 percent higher than the national average, Cuomo said. 

To help compensate for these debts, Cuomo’s budget proposal aims to cut spending in areas such as Medicaid and education. He proposed approximately 2 percent cuts for both sectors this year. His overall budget will cut 10 percent of all state spending in 2011-12.

Cuomo advocated for those affected by his budget and those at risk for losing money to increase efficiency and streamline money. Some people in the education sector are fearful his cuts in education will threaten existing programs. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said the cuts may leave districts with no other choice but to lay off teachers.

Sharon Birnkrant and Laureen Lane, principal and vice principal, respectively, of Hurlbut W. Smith K-8 School in Syracuse, and six students attended the event in hopes of showing Cuomo that the Liberty Partnership Program should not be eliminated. Birnkrant, Lane and the six students did not address the audience. The program is a partnership between Syracuse University, the Syracuse City School District, other colleges and the community that aims to help students finish high school and advance to postsecondary education. It is present in nine of the 13 middle schools in the city school district and throughout all of New York state. 

Lane said education programs should not be cut. Several students from different countries are placed in a grade based on their age and not on how much they know, Birnkrant said. These six students were the youngest audience members and possible future leaders of New York state, both Birnkrant and Lane said. 

An eighth grader in Hurlbut W. Smith’s accelerated program originally from Cuba said, ‘LPP is important to me because when I need to stay after to learn what I was not getting in school, there are teachers to help me.’

Cuomo also discussed a current trend of partisan politics in which members vote along party lines instead of in the best interest of their districts.

Special interest groups and lobbyists are at the root of driving up the budget, he said. His plan is to change how much special interests dominate political decisions in Albany over the next four years, he said.

SU Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney and Miner spoke prior to Cuomo taking the stage. They addressed the current challenges politicians face as the financial crisis continues and partisan politics divide the nation. 

‘There are tremendous challenges today, and that’s when true leadership stands up,’ Miner said, as she explained her reasoning for taking public office during hard times.

Miner then welcomed Cuomo to the podium and said he is a leader New Yorkers trust and have hope in because of the leadership he has shown in difficult times.

There was not enough room to accommodate everyone in Schine Underground for the speech, so students and community members had to RSVP to it, said Josh Vlasto, Cuomo’s press secretary.

Justin Cole, a senior policy studies, political science and economics major from Watertown, N.Y., said Cuomo had a sense of humor, which softened the blow of the problems presented in the proposal.

‘Cuomo energized and exceeded my expectations. He could’ve gotten bogged down talking about the budget,’ he said. 

Anna Stolzenburg, a junior broadcast journalism and political science major from Buffalo, said it is frustrating seeing partisan politics control the Legislature.  

‘I think he presented the challenges in the system,’ she said. ‘And if he holds to it, there will be change.’

cihorgan@syr.edu

Published on March 23, 2011 at 12:00 pm