NYSHEI News

While it may feel as if we entered the Twilight Zone, we are still in New York (see map).

In an attempt to answer your many questions about the status of the state budget, I assembled a number of quotes directly from the policy makers engaged in the budget process.  I hope this helps.

“We have finished the business of the Session,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

“I’m just stunned that it’s even being insinuated that this is the end of session.  It’s just the most amazing moment I think I’ve ever had sitting here in on the floor of the Senate chamber,” Senator Dean Skelos.

“We have done our job; we have done the budget,” Senate President John Sampson, who quickly added, “we have an outstanding piece – the revenue plan.”

“Folks in the Senate are going to go home and won’t be back until there’s a deal,” Senator Antoine Thompson.

“I’m not negotiating with anybody,” Governor David Paterson.

“Like E.T., I want to go home.  I want to get paid,” Assemblyman Jose Rivera.

“We should not be leaving Albany.  We should be completing the budget,” Senator Steve Saland.

“All in all, [the budget] is a mess.  The entire budget scenario is a disgrace and an outrage,” Senator Frank Padavan.

“I’m not talking to them ever!” Governor David Paterson.

“In the face of fiscal uncertainty, New Yorkers need action.  Stay in Albany and get the job done,” State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

“We never got to discuss the budget.  The process has to change.  This is a bad course that Albany once again is going down,” Senator Joseph Addabbo.

“If this were a reality show it would have been canceled after one week and not allowed to run on for three months,” Assemblyman Jim Tedisco.

“There is still work to be done,” Senator Kevin Parker.

“It’s possible that we may have a $1 billion hole,” Senate President John Sampson.

“In one of the most irresponsible and shameful moves ever seen in Albany, [they] decided to adjourn rather than finishing the state budget,” Senator Cathy Young.

“We are staying today and we are leaving.  We will pass everything that we have to pass to have a balanced budget and we are completing our work,… and we will be leaving.  I don’t know what the senate plan is, I have not yet spoken to Sampson,” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

“See you… whenever,” Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, while leaving Albany July 1.

I hope that helps clarify the situation.

Leaders of NYSHEI member institutions in Western New York recently visited the offices of ARIA sponsors.  The delegation specifically applauded the efforts of Assemblyman Robin Schimminger and Senator William Stachowski, the lead sponsors of ARIA.

Pictured, from left to right, are David Schoen, Library Director of Niagara University, H. Austin Booth, Collections Director of the University at Buffalo, Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, Maryruth Glogowski, Assistant Vice President for Library and Instructional Technology at Buffalo State College, Randy Gadikian, Library Director of SUNY Fredonia, and Joel Cohen, Associate Vice President for Library and Informational Services at Canisius College.

NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer also joined they group as they traveled around Erie County to personally encourage state legislators to continue pressing ARIA at the State Capitol.

NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer today submitted testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Higher Education.  The joint budget hearings begin the legislature’s response to the Executive Budget Proposal for fiscal 2010-2011, offered by Governor Paterson.

In acknowledging the lingering problems of New York’s economy and the crushing deficits resultant of the recent national economic climate, Kramer argued that the old ways of doing business were not sufficient.

“If it is to master the problems, not merely of the current environment, but of the 21st century, business as usual is not good enough.  New York must – and can – be smarter, faster and more efficient,” said Kramer.

Toward that goal Kramer offered ARIA as an example of mitigating cuts, creating cost efficiencies, and exploiting economies of scale.

“An investment in ARIA would bring immediate relief and lasting results,” Kramer argued.

The full testimony is available on-line.

The background to the 2010 State of the State is a multi-billion dollar state deficit that will grow to a $17 billion deficit when the federal stimulus money runs out in FY 2011-12.  In his response to these hostile challenges Governor David Paterson offered a fresh start in his speech.

The Governor admitted that something – if not everything – had to change if New York were to avoid descent into bankruptcy.  In his State of the State address the Governor offered an overhaul of state finances that would include significant budget cuts, a dramatic retooling of government practices and ethics that would include term limits, and a vision to reignite the “Innovation Economy” in New York.  This is a difficult agenda that is already being met with reticence from the legislature.

A list of all initiatives referenced in the State of the State is available online.

Of particular interest to academic and research libraries may be some of the ideas contained in the Governor’s economic development proposals.  While it is difficult to predict specifics in advance of the release of the Executive Budget proposal (January 18, 2010), there were encouraging moments during the speech.  When Paterson discussed the importance of an innovation infrastructure, the role of colleges and universities, and information age economic growth, many heard an argument in favor of the Academic Research Information Access (ARIA) act.

The Excelsior Jobs program, as a described successor to the Empire Zone program, may provide one opportunity for ARIA to seek enactment.  So too the Governor’s call to include small business in research and development entrepreneurial incentives.

The legislative session has begun.  With no money in the bank, a closely divided Senate, a unpopular Governor placing blame on an even less popular legislature, and looming elections, 2010 will be an unusually difficult year.  May analysts predict that gridlock and in-fighting will be the hallmarks of the session.  Only time will tell.

NYSHEI, like every other group in the state, will face formidable challenges.  Creativity and hardwork will be needed as never before, but may still not be enough to achieve progress.  Rather, nearly every interest in the state will need to muster all their resources to minimize losses rather than realize gains.

NYSHEI Executive Director Jason Kramer recently testified before Governor Paterson’s Task Force on Diversifying The New York State Economy Through Industry-Higher Education Partnerships.   Meeting at the City College of New York, CUNY, the Task Force heard from twenty experts on the economic advantages of enhanced cooperation between the academic and commercial sectors.

During his testimony Mr. Kramer stressed the importance of an information infrastructure to the “innovation economy” sought by Governor Paterson and other policy makers.  To this end, Mr. Kramer urged the Task Force to support ARIA.  A sample of Mr. Kramer’s testimony is below.

In 2006, the director of NYSTAR said “universities are situated in the crossroads of research, education and innovation.  It is vital that knowledge flows from universities into business and society.”

In 2007, the A.T. Kearney report commissioned by Empire State Development stated that New York needs a “unified statewide economic growth engine fueled by the development of a high-technology infrastructure.  Such an infrastructure can be created through the combined efforts of the state, ESD, businesses, investors and the academic and research communities.”

In 2008, the National Governor’s Association, in association with the Pew Center on the States, issued a report on innovation that declared that successful states must “develop a statewide research and innovation strategy” that makes wise investments (as opposed to massive investments) and develops the states pre-existing strengths.

This month the Center for an Urban Future released a report on “Building New York City’s Innovation Economy.”  This report states that while academic research institutions are important “economic anchors” they have “never served as a major source of growth,” and that it is “unrealistic” to expect big rewards from these institutions “under status quo conditions.”  However, as the report states, “the moment is perfect for such an effort.”

I urge this Task Force to lend further credibility to this movement and endorse the underlying concept behind ARIA, that is, to strengthen our academic and research libraries in a coordinated fashion thereby expanding resources, lowering budgets, and providing access to scores of researchers and small businesses.

The full testimony is available here.