United University Professions: Qualified Support For New York’s Proposed State Budget

January 23, 2017 
By WNYLaborToday.com Editor-Publisher Tom Campbell
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Albany, NY – United University Professions (UUP) President Fred Kowal is encouraged by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to put public higher education at the forefront of his proposed 2017-18 Executive Budget through his plan for free tuition at State University at New York (SUNY) colleges and universities.

Kowal also applauded the governor’s move to increase taxes for the rich as part of the so-called Millionaire’s Tax and a proposal to approve the Dream Act.

While UUP welcomes an emphasis on college affordability, Kowal said this week that the State must invest new dollars in SUNY to allow the University to handle an influx of new students spurred by the governor’s proposed free tuition Excelsior Scholarship as it continues to offer a quality education: “UUP has ‘long supported free’ public college tuition and ‘backed’ President Obama’s College Promise Campaign in 2015.  It is an ‘absolute necessity’ that SUNY ‘begin recouping’ state dollars ‘cut’ from SUNY’s budget over the last decade.  We are ‘hopeful’ that the Legislature will ‘provide increased aid’ to SUNY to ‘help’ the University hire new faculty and expand programs.”

Additionally, Kowal said the “time is now” for the state to fully fund its three public teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, Stony Brook and Syracuse.

The state-owned facilities turn no one away, regardless of their ability to pay for care, he said.