“New York City has one of the city’s most traveled routes out of poverty, so any decision to cut off or compromise this escape route must be made with consideration of short-term and long-term impacts. I have to.”
Adi Talwar
Bronx Community College campus.
New York City and the state are once again preparing for March Madness, when advocates, lobbyists and elected officials compete to influence city and state budgets.
As long-time City University of New York professors and doctoral students at City University of New York, we have observed such cycles about 60 times. We are amazed at how often mayors and governors bring up austerity as the most responsible solution to any budget challenge, including the City University of New York.
But despite previous threats of budget cuts from mayors and governors, this year may be different. Some of the proposed cuts have already been withdrawn in response to pressure from advocates and lawmakers. The city’s improved economic outlook and state budget surplus also mean more budget options for next year.
To realize this opportunity, all New Yorkers who benefit from the City University of New York, including students, alumni, their families, and employers, urge our elected officials to refuse to default on austerity. Should. After all, budget decisions are political decisions. And the choice to cut spending is too often fueled by pervasive myths about austerity, illusions that have long prevented rational debate about city and state budgets.
We focus on New York State’s city and state budgets because New York State plays such an important role in the educational, economic, and social lives of many New Yorkers. Since 1991, approximately 1 million people have graduated from the State University of New York, and 850,000 of them currently work and pay taxes in New York. Over 80% of CUNY graduates remain in New York and contribute to the region’s economy, culture, and vitality.
More than 225,000 degree-seeking students currently attend CUNY, and an additional 200,000 take continuing education courses. More than 1 million New Yorkers along with their families have had their daily lives and future financial success influenced by her CUNY.
New York City is one of the city’s most traveled routes out of poverty, so decisions to cut off or impinge on this escape route must consider short-term and long-term impacts. there is. In this spirit, we identify four myths about CUNY austerity that need to be debunked.
Myth 1: Forcing CUNY to cut spending will save taxpayers money. In December 2023, CUNY asked Governor Kathy Hochul for $2.3 billion in operating funds, about 1 percent of the state’s $233 billion 2025 budget. CUNY requested $53 million from New York City to support community colleges (about 5 cents per school). $100 of the mayor’s $109 billion budget proposal. These numbers show that CUNY represents a small portion of state and city budgets, and further cuts to CUNY’s modest requests would result in negligible savings for taxpayers. .
Myth 2: New York faces a volatile economy and needs to save for a rainy day. The state and city currently have record “rainy day” and reserve funds at $19.5 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively. Rather than cutting essential services in preparation for a hypothetical storm, New York City should invest in college students now to build future prosperity. Moreover, several recent economic forecasts suggest that the rainy days are not yet here and that the region’s prosperity will continue.
Myth 3: University education is no longer essential to the city’s economy, so layoffs are less harmful. While experts debate the issue, in New York City young people without advanced degrees face the toughest job market. On average, a City University of New York graduate with a bachelor’s degree earns $65,165 per year (a City University graduate with a master’s degree earns $93,000), while someone without a degree earns $33,000. It would be foolish to pass up an opportunity to expand the number of students benefiting CUNY and expand its ability to provide young people with the tools they need for future success, without costing them a dime.
Myth 4: The city can’t fund everything.. It’s true that New York City faces other challenges that require new and significant resources, such as the immigration crisis and the need for more affordable housing. But taking away payments from Peter to Paul could result in new corporate or capital gains taxes, or legislation requiring New York University and Columbia University to use property taxes they don’t pay to fund NYU. The possibility of new financial sources is being overlooked.
We call on City University of New York students, alumni, their families, and the millions of New Yorkers who have benefited from a solid and caring public university to play a role in busting myths and rejecting austerity. We ask our leaders to find the courage to Let your mayors, governors, and city and state legislators know that we believe budget decisions should be based on facts and hope, not myths and unfounded fears.
Nicholas Freudenberg is a distinguished professor of public health and Alexa DiAngelo is a fifth-year doctoral student, both at the State University of New York School of Public Health.