Keep oversight and accountability at SUNY

Keep oversight and accountability at SUNY.

Taxpayers deserve more transparency, not less.

The NYS Executive Budget proposes to alter the
relationship between the State University of New York
(SUNY) and state government.

It would give SUNY greater authority to enter into contracts and leases, without prior review by the state comptroller, attorney general or Legislature.

The proposed “flexibility” language, as it relates to contracts for services, goes too far in removing oversight and accountability.

The review of contracts for services by oversight agencies, such as the comptroller and attorney general, exists for a good reason — to protect the public interest.

The proposed language is so broad it could lead to unanticipated results that could alter SUNY’s operation without real public representation. Lack of transparency is already a problem with SUNY. For example, SUNY Downstate Medical Center wants to take over Long Island College Hospital. SUNY Downstate wants the state to absorb more than $180 million in long-term debt and millions of dollars a year in operating losses. All this without legislative oversight or public discussion. It’s essentially a secret business deal that SUNY paid a private consultant thousands of dollars to produce.

The state already is trying to close a $9.2 billion budget deficit. This is not the time to let SUNY gamble with the taxpayer’s money.

Call the governor and legislative leaders and tell them we need more oversight and accountability in state government, not less.

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