In just over a week, the people of New York are scheduled to lose approximately $52 billion.
On September 15, appropriations for money budgeted in previous years will expire; each year the state government must re-approve these funds, which come largely from the federal government. This is normally a trivial task that is done as part of the state budget. However, disputes over funding priorities have made the state budget late for the 17th consecutive year. It has gotten to the point where New York State’s lawmakers and executives no longer even pretend that they expect the budget to pass by the April 1 deadline each year.
For the past 16 years, though, the tardiness of the budget has not come close to infringing on the September 15 appropriations deadline. This year is different.
Before this year, the latest state budget ever was passed on August 4. On August 3 of this year, lawmakers came up with a "baseline" budget that included almost no new spending. The supposed plan was that lawmakers could later agree on the "extras."
Over a month has passed, still there is no agreement, and the September 15 deadline rapidly approaches. If they reach it without some sort of decision, an immense number of social service programs will come to an end—environmental cleanups, children’s health services, sexual assault hot lines, and school funding, to name a few.
Even if some agreement is reached before September 15, the delay in setting funding levels for the year is simply inexcusable. What we, as citizens, can do about it is simple—vote. RPI students can register to vote in New York, and faculty and staff members should already be registered. When polling time comes in November, remember that state lawmakers cost you $52 billion, or nearly did, and then make your choice. Choose wisely.
