If you read John Hildebrand’s story in Newsday this morning, you know that Governor Spitzer’s budget proposal with respect to education aid is not likely to be warmly received on Long Island. In fact, the early analysis seems to indicate that the proposal simply takes money from Long Island school districts and shifts it to New York City. That’s exactly what Long Islanders have feared would happen as a result of the litigation over New York City’s failing school system.

Together with the Long Island Education Coalition (LIEC), we have assembled some facts from the proposal. We are sending this list of facts to the Governor’s staff to be sure of their accuracy, so it may be that some changes will occur. But for now, here’s what we see:

o Long Island’s increase of $118.5 million is 8.2 percent of the total statewide increase of $1.438 billion.

o In the 2007-2008 budget adopted by the Legislature last year, Long Island’s share of the increase was 13.3 percent.

o If Long Island got 13.3 percent of the proposed 2008-2009 increase, we would get $72.75 million more for our school districts.

o In other words, Long Island’s share has been cut by $72.75 million.

o 46 of 125 school districts would actually lose money compared to the current year.

o Of 66 school districts statewide that would lose money under the proposal, 46 of them, or about 70 percent, are on Long Island.

o Among the losing districts are three that are below the statewide average wealth level: Middle Country, North Babylon, and Patchogue-Medford.

o Under the law passed last year, this year New York City was to have received an increase of $316 million. The budget proposal would instead give New York City an increase of $547 million.

o Included in that increase for New York City is a $90 million Academic Achievement Grant that is added to the “Foundation” Formula. In other words, the formula that is supposed to be basic and unchanging was simply amended to provide New York City an additional $90 million.

o There may be even more bad news for Long Island school districts and tax payers.


o And the cost of educating and caring for pre-school special education students would be shifted from the state to the school districts at a statewide cost of $46 million. Long Island’s share is being calculated, but it’s sure to be sizeable.

The Executive Budget is a very complex document, and we will learn more as time passes. It is fair to say, however, that Long Island school districts, and with them Long Island taxpayers, are being put at a disadvantage by this budget proposal relative to other New Yorkers.

Perhaps most troubling about that is that Long Island taxpayers already pay 20 percent more of their household income on property taxes than other New Yorkers. Instead of seeking to rectify that unfairness somewhat, this budget proposal would exacerbate it. Why? Why aren’t Long Islanders entitled to relief? That’s a question that will burn a hole through the state’s budget negotiations in the next two months.

Matt Crosson

In September, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2006 population estimates for Long Island. With respect to the population of younger people we will need for the workforce when Baby Boomers retire in large numbers, the news was not good.

According to the American Community Survey’s estimate of Long Island’s 2006 population, this region’s 25 to 44 age group declined by 122,477 people from 2000 to 2006. That represented a 14.8 percent decline overall; 19.1 percent in Nassau County, 11 percent in Suffolk County. Some of that decline was attributable to demographic changes related to lower past birth rates. But by no means all of it. The national demographic decline in that age group during the period was 1.5 percent, just one tenth of Long Island’s decline. New York’s City’s decline was 3.3 percent, less than one fourth of Long Island’s experience. The other metropolitan suburbs had an 8.7 percent decline. Clearly, outmigration is shrinking Long Island’s younger population at rapid rate.

We have a lot of work to do as a regional community to reverse that loss.

Matt Crosson

Yesterday was a tough day for economic development on Long Island. Photocircuits announced it's closing its doors and laying off about 750 people; and Northop Grumman announced that it's reducing its workforce by 200 to 300 people. The loss of about 1,000 jobs in a day may seem like a lot, and for most communities it would be. On Long Island, however, those employees will not stay unemployed long. The unemployment rate is at a very low 3.2 percent and businesses in all categories are looking for qualified employees. It's never good news to lose jobs, but if it happens at a time when many businesses are trying to create jobs but can't find enough good people to fill them, the impact is lessened.

Matt Crosson