Public Employee Press

City sees big gains in new state budget

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The budget battle in Albany has finally ended, the smoke has cleared and all New Yorkers can see a brighter future. Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s first budget, which passed on April 1, emphasizes investment in education, from kindergarten to college, and long overdue health care reforms.

“This is an enormous improvement from the previous administration,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “This budget focuses on essential issues for our union members and for all working New Yorkers.”

An innovative four-year program increases spending for education by $1.76 billion, more than the governor originally requested, and brings the total state spending to a historic level of almost $20 billion. In the current fiscal year, state aid to the city will increase by $712 million. Statewide, there will be $1.4 billion more in 2008, growing to $7 billion by fiscal year 2010-2011.

Under Spitzer’s new budget New York City would receive over $3 billion in increased state education aid over the four years.

The budget also doubles state aid for universal pre-kindergarten programs to $438 million and targets the City University of New York for large increases. The four-year colleges are slated to get a $70 million increase, and the community colleges an additional $6 million.

Cuts class sizes
The budget also requires New York City to devise plans to cut class sizes within five years, targeting the reductions for low-performing and overcrowded schools.

The 14-year political and legal struggle by the union and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity to win fair funding for New York City public schools has led to victory.

Gov. Spitzer has now scrapped the antiquated state school funding formula, which has historically underfunded poor and urban school districts, and he aims to direct more money to schools that need it most.

While the Legislature raised the cap on charter schools over labor objections, Board of Education Local 372 prevailed in preventing the city from being the chartering entity for the new schools and requiring all new charter schools with more than 250 students to be unionized.

The governor’s budget also highlights much-needed reforms to help expand access to health insurance for the 900,000 uninsured New Yorkers. Subsidized coverage under the Child Health Plus program would go to those with incomes of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level (up from the current 250 percent).

The governor’s new policy — with no cuts to HHC hospitals — would provide comprehensive and affordable health coverage to all of the nearly 400,00 uninsured children statewide.

The budget also includes more funds for school-based health clinics.

To ensure that adults and children who are eligible for Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus are covered, the governor plans to streamline the recertification process to prevent fraud and eliminate unnecessary documentation. He will also launch a public education and outreach campaign to encourage eligible individuals to take advantage of the state programs.

“In the process, he would move us a step closer to a universal, government-funded system,” said Roberts.

“Usually after every budget is delivered we have to get involved in a fight with the governor,” said Maf Misbah Uddin, DC 37 treasurer and president of Local 1407. “But I’m happy to say that on this occasion that will not happen.”