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organizing district-by-district
to win legislative support for
our proposed CUNY budget
and for PSC contract demands

BUILDING POLITICAL STRENGTH
FROM THE GRASS ROOTS 

            To rebuild the City University, we must build our political strength. We must gain political support for our proposed budget and our contract demands.   We can go a long way toward generating the political pressure to get that support from state legislators by organizing district by district. 

 Our goal is to create local lobbying networks in half a dozen key state senate districts and about two-dozen assembly districts.  Members need not make the trip to Albany to be effective lobbyists.  They can be very efficient by writing letters to their own representative’s local office, making follow-up phone calls—and most important, visiting their representative’s local office.   

In these ways, you do two key things:  1) You show the elected representative an alert bloc of voters, and 2) you educate her on the issues.  Please take the time to write and visit your own representative.  You’ll make an enormous difference if you do.

In the targeted districts, you should receive a phone call from another PSC member about the letter and local lobbying visit.  But, Please don't wait.  Write your letter and make your call today.  The more letters and calls, the better

LOBBYINGRESOURCESMATERIALSLINKS
We're building a campaign to support our proposed budget and contract
demands.  Look to this page over the next week for resources and links


Do you live in NYC?  Find out who represents you -- NYC Council, NYS Assembly, NYS Senate, U.S. Congress.  Link HERE to the  NYPIRG* legislative finder page.

*New York Public Interest Research Group

 

"12%" MORE
click graphic below for flyer
on budget campaign to rebuild CUNY


    


   click below to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 DECISION DAY FOR THE CUNY BUDGET!!

 

ACT NOW FOR YOUR CLASSROOM, YOUR DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE,

YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR STUDENTS, YOUR PROGRAM.

 

            Three people write the state budget—and with it most of CUNY’s budget—Sheldon Silver, the Democratic Speaker of the Assembly; Joseph Bruno, the Republican leader of the State Senate; and Governor George Pataki.  On March 19th, the Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats meet in their respective party conferences to set their budget priorities for these three-man negotiations.  

            Therefore, we have until March 19th (possibly later) to convince Republican State Senators and Democratic Assembly members to make CUNY a priority by adopting the PSC’s budget proposal:  a 12% increase for CUNY ($165,000,000).  This modest increase (California had a 17% increase this year) will begin to compensate for years of neglect and cuts.   

·         In constant dollars CUNY has lost $375 million, 30% of city and state funding, in the last 10 years.

·         During the same period New York State ranks 50th—dead last—among the 50 states in increases in state funding for public higher education.

·         The number of full-time faculty has declined since 1975 by nearly 50%.

·         As a result, more than half the community-college courses and nearly half the senior-college courses are taught by over worked, underpaid adjuncts, who, despite their dedication and talent, cannot provide the level of support and service students need.

·         We need to restore the full-time faculty, improve the lot of adjuncts, strengthen educational opportunity, support our graduate students, SEEK and College Discovery.

·         The PSC’s proposal will do all that because it focuses on rebuilding the University’s liberal arts and sciences instead of emphasizing certain glamour programs above all.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1.      Call your elected representatives today. Tell them that you are a constituent and that you support the 12% increase for CUNY.

2.      Tell them why. Tell your story and your students’ stories.

3.      Request that your Assembly member and State Senator support and speak for the 12% increase for CUNY in their party conferences.

4.      Follow up with a letter and an office visit. Legislators are home on Fridays. Phone their district office for an appointment.

5.      Go to the PSC Web site, WWW.PSC-CUNY.ORG, for budget details and click the “What you can do…” button for sample letters, guidelines for a lobbying visit and other helpful materials.

 

If you don’t know your elected officials and you live in one of the five boroughs, go to WWW.NYPIRG.ORG and click on “Who Represents you?” for an instant answer. If you live outside the five boroughs, email MKRASNER@SOVER.NET with your address and zip code.