Cuomo scolds schools over spending

ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo scolded union-backed school advocates Thursday, saying they are using scare tactics and playing "games" to claim that students would be hurt by his proposal to reduce education funding after years of record increases.

The first-year Democrat said school districts can weather an average 7 percent cut by trimming waste, eliminating fraud, using reserve funds or asking employees to pay more for health care. In fact, he said, the net impact of the state-aid cuts -- the amount of money schools would lose as a portion of their overall budgets -- is closer to 2.7 percent.

Cuomo accused his critics of playing political "games."

"I'm saying . . . Manage the school system. Reduce the waste. Reduce the fraud. . . . [School officials say] 'Well, we don't have any.' I don't believe it!" Cuomo said.

The governor went on for more than four minutes.

"This is not about a teacher in a classroom," he continued. "This is about less bureaucracy, less administrative overhead, less superintendents' salaries, less high salaries for administrators, more efficiency in transportation, more efficiency in back offices, more efficiency in payroll. That's what this is about."

Union leaders and other Cuomo critics reacted sharply to the governor's words. They pointed out that the Democratic Party and the Committee to Save New York, a pro-business, anti-tax group, are running ads and automated phone banks to support the governor.

Though he didn't refer to it, Cuomo's remarks also came just days after the New York State United Teachers union launched a statewide ad featuring schoolchildren sharply critical of his budget. The ad urges viewers to call on Cuomo to reconsider school cuts and instead extend a surcharge on high-earning New Yorkers. At one point, a narrator says: "Don't sacrifice their future for tax breaks for millionaires."

Richard Iannuzzi, union president, said the group agrees that efficiencies can be found -- but those alone can't offset the governor's plan to cut school spending by $1.5 billion. He said Cuomo is wrong, that students will be hurt by spending cuts.

"If you are eliminating programs, such as guidance counselors, music, arts and sports, and you're talking about a high school student getting ready to go to college, that's definitely going to have a negative impact," Iannuzzi said.