Casey budget plan offers U. nothing

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Robert Casey recommended to the state legislature for a second year in a row yesterday that the University receive no state funding next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The legislature, which is still considering restoration of some state funding to the University for the current fiscal year, will have until the end of June to decide whether or not to act on Casey's proposal. Casey, speaking during his annual budget address, dubbed his proposal "a good budget for Pennsylvania," but administrators said it is a bad budget for the University, which stands to lose critical funding again for financial aid and the Veterinary School. The University had requested over $42 million from the state. Last year, the University requested $41.2 million from the state but, like this year, Casey recommended the University get no funding and the legislature passed a budget last summer without any funding for the University. During yesterday's budget address, Casey failed to mention the University's funding request at all. Paul Cribbins, director of commonwealth relations for the University, said yesterday that Casey's decision was expected. "This is consistent with the position he took last year and that position is, unfortunately, that we should not get commonwealth money," Cribbins said. Casey's speech met with laughter and applause from lawmakers when he said "no more state money will be used to subsidize courses in basket-weaving, bridge and beers of the world" at public community colleges. But after his address, legislators seemed less amused with Casey's position. Many questioned the sincerity of his claim that he wants "an educated Pennsylvania." State Representative Matt Ryan (R-Phila.), speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives, said that Casey's failure to fund the University's Medical School and the Vet School, despite their importance to the state, demonstrates the governor's lack of commitment to higher education in the state. Casey did propose spending $1.3 billion for higher education, allocating $137.8 million to Temple University and $9.9 million to Lincoln University. Some legislators attacked Casey's oversights, as he talked about tourism while neglecting to mention agriculture, which is the state's leading industry. "The [University's] Veterinary School is very important to agriculture in this state," said State Senator Patrick Stapleton (D-Indiana), chair of the senate agriculture committee. "I am disappointed that [Casey] did not fund the school." Stapleton is part of a coalition dedicated to saving the Vet School. Stapleton aide Bob Quigley said there is strong support in the Senate for the Vet School. He cited last month's unanimous passage of a bill sponsored by State Senator Vincent Fumo (D-Phila.) that would, if enacted, restore $36.3 million to the University for the current fiscal year as evidence of that support. The bill is currently awaiting action by the House. Fumo said yesterday he is not surprised by Casey's position and he will continue to push for both a restoration of University funding for the current fiscal year and the 1993-94 fiscal year. "The governor has not changed his position so we still need to keep the pressure on him," Fumo said. "Unless we put more pressure on him, he is unlikely to change his mind." Fumo also said he will stand by his funding proposal, which would restore 96.5 percent of the University's 1991-92 fiscal year request to the University for the current fiscal year. "We have to wait until the we get into session [with the House] and negotiate about the bill," Fumo said. "Until then, I'm sticking with the 96.5 percent figure." Fumo added that he expects a long, hard fight over funding for the University. "I'm willing to negotiate, but it may require taking a tough stand and playing hard ball politics to get that money back," he said. If Fumo's bill is enacted, the University would receive funding from over $200 million in unappropriated supplemental funding currently available to the state. Cribbins said that he thinks there is strong support for University funding in the House. "We are encouraged by Representative Ryan's feeling that Penn and the other schools will be included in the [1993-94] final budget," Cribbins said. "The Vet School is especially important to the agricultural constiuencies of the state and the agricultural committees of both houses are firmly behind the school." He also said the University will have a better indication of whether it will get money for next fiscal year after the legislature decides if it will restore money for the current fiscal year some time in March or April. Lucy Gnazzo, a legislative aide to Ryan, said Ryan is attempting to firm up support for private higher education in the House, but it is too early to determine the outcome. "Ryan's been arguing that the governor is not really as committed to education as he says he is," Gnazzo said. "Even with state-aided universities, he reneged on promises to provide tuition assistance two years ago." State Representative Dwight Evans (D-Phila.) said he is not sure if funding for the University should be a priority. "It all depends on the amount of money available," Evans said. "The priority is with the state-owned, state-related and state-aided institutions first." Evans aide Allan Ferguson said the House has not had a chance to discuss Fumo's bill or the governor's recommendations yet, but he thinks state funding for the University will meet strong opposition. "We have not talked about any of this yet," Ferguson said. "But based on our previous action, [the House Democrats] will go along with the governor's recommendation." Last year, Evans opposed state money for the University and was part of a delegation of Philadelphia representatives that threatened to block state funding for the University unless more area high school students were awarded Mayor's Scholarships. Evans denied ever linking the two issues yesterday. "No, I did not think there was any linkage," Evans said. "But it is all tied in to how much money is available and what we want to do with it."

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