The Budget Shaft

[Clickclack]

SB and BU are out there promoting themselves as the two flagships....the deafening silence coming from University at Albany speaks volumes. It appears the "INTERIM" leadership has no idea where UA stands in the long term strategic plan. The longer this continues the worse off we will be.

 

What do you expect him to stay publically at this point?? Obviously he's reading and hearing at least the same information we are. None of us really have any idea what Phillip, McElroy, and the rest of the staff may be doing behind the scenes. It serves no purpose for an official like him to go out in public and complain to no one in particular only 24 hours after the Governor's budget proposal's released.

 

Most work is done behind closed doors. That's a reality.

 

GODANESGO,

 

My point was this.......SB and BU seem to have a clear understanding that they are "flagship" university campuses. When I said that the silence was deafening, I was trying to make the point that we are unsure of where we stand in the pecking order. There appears to be clear defining line between where we are and where SB/BU is. I didn't intend to attack the interim leadership of the University, but to simply point out that their influence as "interim" anything..... is probably somewhat limited.

[Classof72/74]

FWIW, in my experience with SUNY budgets (which now goes back to the mid 1970s, groan) its unlikely that a $40 mil construction project (i.e. football stadium) will get added at the last minute if it wasn't in the budget message. From this point things in the budget may get cut or amended, but in this budget climate its hard to envision a $40mil add-on.

 

Even if there was such a discussion the stadium would be vying with another currently un-funded UA project, new building for School of Business (which also didn't make the cut).

[GODANESGO]

Even if there was such a discussion the stadium would be vying with another currently un-funded UA project, new building for School of Business (which also didn't make the cut).

 

Very true. It's a bid odd that many people on this board seem to be attacking the Governor when UAlbany's own governance body listed a new football stadium as only the third capital budget priority for FY09, behind a new campus center and a new business building.

 

Perhaps he was just listening to exactly what the University told him? (half sarcasim, half seriousness)

[danefan]

The following post is prefaced with the fact that these budgets are complicated and are not as explicit with funding. Meaning that there may be more funding under categories which do not specifically reference a university and therefore I would have no way of knowing which university to apply the funding to.

 

OK, so I looked at the budget more closely and these are what I think are the major points:

 

In my opinion, there are two major issues with comparing the four university centers equally. The major point is whether you consider the money that goes to major non-school projects at the campuses like Nanotech and Stonybrook Hospital.

 

If you compare the total budget allocations with Nanotech and Stonybrook hospital intact you have the following appropriations:

 

SBU - $1,515,100,000

UAlbany - $347,923,000

UB - $331,151,000 (no major projects funded)

Bing - $234,577,000 (no major projects funded)

 

 

Now, if you compare the funding without Nanotech and Stonybrook Hospital you get closer to what is really going on (IMO):

 

SBU - $392,730,000

UB - $331,151,000

UAlbany - $272,923,000

Bing - $234,577,000

 

 

Now, the thing that really stood out to me was the following budget allocations:

 

Campus-wide critical maintenance:

SBU - $86,160,000

UB - $75,031,000

UAlbany - $39,743,000

Bing - $38,334,000

 

Various Projects (which includes the Division I lighting for UA, but not the athletic appropriations for Bing, UB, or SBU):

UB - $178,214,000

SBU -$172,258,000

Bing - $120,689,000

UAlbany - $78,849,000

 

"Minor rehab" category:

UB - $1,306,000

SBU - $1,262,000

UAlbany - $556,000

Bing - $554,000

 

 

A few other tidbits I pulled out of the budget that stuck out to me:

 

SUNY Utica-Rome - $20,000,000 for a fieldhouse.

SUNY Brockport - $24,000,000 for Special Events and Recreation center

SUNY Canton - $18,000,000 for Athletics and Recreation center

Tompkins Cortland Community College Athletics Complex - $10,000,000

 

 

Once again, if I'm wrong on something please let me know. Some may thing that taking out the Nanotech isn't fair, but to me it makes sense in comparing apples to apples.

[Dane96]

If my reading of the proposed budget is correct....the Governor is proposing to fund ....pages 454,455,456,457

 

- 5 mil for CESTM Power substation

- 75 mil for ASML High Tech Center

- 75 mil for NanoTech Research Facility

- 25 mil for East Campus Cancer Research Building

---------------------------------------------------

 

180=mil for construction of new research facilities

 

Not to mention 25 mil for campus revitalization and 14 mil for completion of various athletic projects.

 

Thats a very large capital investment. Am I reading all of this wrong? I don't have any experience in reading these kinds of docs, so I could be WAY off here.

 

Granted, the one HUGE omission is the funds for the construction of a football stadium but it appears that they are still throwing a ton of money at UA. Comparable to SB and BU....NO?

 

SB is getting 11 mil for athletics.....(8 mil for "basketball arena" and 3 mil for "football stadium") and BU is getting 4 mil for "athletic stadium". Bingo is getting 5 mil for "athletic fields"

 

Strictly money being given to athletics is.....

 

- UA 14 mil

- Buffalo 4 mil

- SB 11 mil

- Bingo 5 mil

 

Can someone double check my numbers and tell me if I've gone mad?

 

I was up until 4am doing the number....seriously.

 

The numbers are correct at face except for the fact that the large portion of the money is REAPPROPRIATED-- meaning it was an IOU. We are told we were getting it years ago...so the payment is for expenses incurred.

 

Basically, most of our money was in the form of payment of IOU...not FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS...where the real issue lies.

 

Now, I have a call in because I AM PRETTY SURE that the 75m is counted once, not twice if I read it correct.

[danefan]

The following post is prefaced with the fact that these budgets are complicated and are not as explicit with funding. Meaning that there may be more funding under categories which do not specifically reference a university and therefore I would have no way of knowing which university to apply the funding to.

 

OK, so I looked at the budget more closely and these are what I think are the major points:

 

In my opinion, there are two major issues with comparing the four university centers equally. The major point is whether you consider the money that goes to major non-school projects at the campuses like Nanotech and Stonybrook Hospital.

 

If you compare the total budget allocations with Nanotech and Stonybrook hospital intact you have the following appropriations:

 

SBU - $1,515,100,000

UAlbany - $347,923,000

UB - $331,151,000 (no major projects funded)

Bing - $234,577,000 (no major projects funded)

 

 

Now, if you compare the funding without Nanotech and Stonybrook Hospital you get closer to what is really going on (IMO):

 

SBU - $392,730,000

UB - $331,151,000

UAlbany - $272,923,000

Bing - $234,577,000

 

 

Now, the thing that really stood out to me was the following budget allocations:

 

Campus-wide critical maintenance:

SBU - $86,160,000

UB - $75,031,000

UAlbany - $39,743,000

Bing - $38,334,000

 

Various Projects (which includes the Division I lighting for UA, but not the athletic appropriations for Bing, UB, or SBU):

UB - $178,214,000

SBU -$172,258,000

Bing - $120,689,000

UAlbany - $78,849,000

 

"Minor rehab" category:

UB - $1,306,000

SBU - $1,262,000

UAlbany - $556,000

Bing - $554,000

 

 

A few other tidbits I pulled out of the budget that stuck out to me:

 

SUNY Utica-Rome - $20,000,000 for a fieldhouse.

SUNY Brockport - $24,000,000 for Special Events and Recreation center

SUNY Canton - $18,000,000 for Athletics and Recreation center

Tompkins Cortland Community College Athletics Complex - $10,000,000

 

 

Once again, if I'm wrong on something please let me know. Some may thing that taking out the Nanotech isn't fair, but to me it makes sense in comparing apples to apples.

 

Note that I did not include the $75 million for ASML High Tech Center as Nanotech. So if it is actually Nanotech then the overall numbers will change by $75mm for UA:

 

Without Nanotech and SB Hospital:

SBU - $392,730,000

UB - $331,151,000

Bing - $234,577,000

UAlbany - $197,923,000

 

 

And if, the $75mm is only counted once then the funding including nanotech changes to:

SBU - $1,515,100,000

UB - $331,151,000 (no major projects funded)

UAlbany - $272,923,000

Bing - $234,577,000 (no major projects funded)

[danefan]

If my reading of the proposed budget is correct....the Governor is proposing to fund ....pages 454,455,456,457

 

- 5 mil for CESTM Power substation

- 75 mil for ASML High Tech Center

- 75 mil for NanoTech Research Facility

- 25 mil for East Campus Cancer Research Building

---------------------------------------------------

 

180=mil for construction of new research facilities

 

Not to mention 25 mil for campus revitalization and 14 mil for completion of various athletic projects.

 

Thats a very large capital investment. Am I reading all of this wrong? I don't have any experience in reading these kinds of docs, so I could be WAY off here.

 

Granted, the one HUGE omission is the funds for the construction of a football stadium but it appears that they are still throwing a ton of money at UA. Comparable to SB and BU....NO?

 

SB is getting 11 mil for athletics.....(8 mil for "basketball arena" and 3 mil for "football stadium") and BU is getting 4 mil for "athletic stadium". Bingo is getting 5 mil for "athletic fields"

 

Strictly money being given to athletics is.....

 

- UA 14 mil

- Buffalo 4 mil

- SB 11 mil

- Bingo 5 mil

 

Can someone double check my numbers and tell me if I've gone mad?

 

I was up until 4am doing the number....seriously.

 

The numbers are correct at face except for the fact that the large portion of the money is REAPPROPRIATED-- meaning it was an IOU. We are told we were getting it years ago...so the payment is for expenses incurred.

 

Basically, most of our money was in the form of payment of IOU...not FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS...where the real issue lies.

 

Now, I have a call in because I AM PRETTY SURE that the 75m is counted once, not twice if I read it correct.

 

 

Clearly promised a few years ago - ie: the power substation is already in the process of being built at CESTM. Drive Washington Ave extension and you can see it from the road.

[Clickclack]

If my reading of the proposed budget is correct....the Governor is proposing to fund ....pages 454,455,456,457

 

- 5 mil for CESTM Power substation

- 75 mil for ASML High Tech Center

- 75 mil for NanoTech Research Facility

- 25 mil for East Campus Cancer Research Building

---------------------------------------------------

 

180=mil for construction of new research facilities

 

Not to mention 25 mil for campus revitalization and 14 mil for completion of various athletic projects.

 

Thats a very large capital investment. Am I reading all of this wrong? I don't have any experience in reading these kinds of docs, so I could be WAY off here.

 

Granted, the one HUGE omission is the funds for the construction of a football stadium but it appears that they are still throwing a ton of money at UA. Comparable to SB and BU....NO?

 

SB is getting 11 mil for athletics.....(8 mil for "basketball arena" and 3 mil for "football stadium") and BU is getting 4 mil for "athletic stadium". Bingo is getting 5 mil for "athletic fields"

 

Strictly money being given to athletics is.....

 

- UA 14 mil

- Buffalo 4 mil

- SB 11 mil

- Bingo 5 mil

 

Can someone double check my numbers and tell me if I've gone mad?

 

I was up until 4am doing the number....seriously.

 

The numbers are correct at face except for the fact that the large portion of the money is REAPPROPRIATED-- meaning it was an IOU. We are told we were getting it years ago...so the payment is for expenses incurred.

 

Basically, most of our money was in the form of payment of IOU...not FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS...where the real issue lies.

 

Now, I have a call in because I AM PRETTY SURE that the 75m is counted once, not twice if I read it correct.

 

D96,

 

As I said, I have never read one of these before.....didn't even pick up on the REAPROPRIATED part. Obviously that isn't very good. I got the two 75mil figures from the pages I listed....don't know why but I'm having a hard time opening the budget doc to confirm those numbers....pages 454-457.

[Dane96]

Boys-

 

I read the same double 75m. I need to re-review...but I think it is the same. However, it may not. That being said, it still dwarfs us compared to the other state centers.

[danefan]

Another WTEN article with a Canestari quote:

 

http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=7760970

[Dane96]

I know that every major media network was contacted via members of this board. KUDOS TO ALL! Our voices have brought at least some commentary.

 

WE, however, are not finished-- "THE FLAGSHIP ALBANY" Campaign has yet to begin!

[Clickclack]

I know that every major media network was contacted via members of this board. KUDOS TO ALL! Our voices have brought at least some commentary.

 

WE, however, are not finished-- "THE FLAGSHIP ALBANY" Campaign has yet to begin!

 

We should not and cannot let UA be left behind. Once SB and BU get firmly entrenched as "flagship" campuses there will be NO going back. We either fight to get UA included into that select group or forever be doomed to play second fiddle to the other two.

[uofalbany]

I know that every major media network was contacted via members of this board. KUDOS TO ALL! Our voices have brought at least some commentary.

 

WE, however, are not finished-- "THE FLAGSHIP ALBANY" Campaign has yet to begin!

 

We should not and cannot let UA be left behind. Once SB and BU get firmly entrenched as "flagship" campuses there will be NO going back. We either fight to get UA included into that select group or forever be doomed to play second fiddle to the other two.

 

I had compiled this list at an earlier time. Which are the most important to contact, which are least important, and who have I left out, that needs to be added as contacts..............

 

Governor Spitzer:

 

Assemblyman Ron Canestrari:

 

Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno:

 

Senate Minority Leader Malcom Smith:

 

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver:

 

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco:

 

Mayor of the City of Albany: Jerry Jennings

 

President of The University of the State of New York (USNY) and Commissioner of Education: Richard P. Mills

 

Interim SUNY Chancellor: Dr. John B. Clark

[Dane96]

ALL...and I MEAN ALL must be contacted.

[GODANESGO]

I might suggest:

 

Assemblyman McEneny and Senator Breslin

 

UAlbany uptown campus, where the stadium would be, is in their respective districts.