GEORGE SPITZ
Candidate's website

1. COMMUNITY COLLEGE FUNDING:
State Education Law mandates that the City fund one-third of CUNY community college's overall budget, but that level of funding has not been met for nearly a decade.
(a) Do you plan to increase City funding for CUNY?
(b) By how much?
(c) Over what period of time?

a.Yes
b. I plan to reduce the contracting out costs, currently $5.8 billion (up from $2.8 billion in 1993) by $4 .0 billion. Much of this work is either useless or can be done by the civil service. I intend to use this $4.0 billion to restore free tuition at the City University, equalize salaries of police, fire, teaching, library and other civil service personnel with that of the suburbs and other service enhancements. Assuming that the state continues to grant $166.3 million in TAP money, $814 million in general state aid, approximately $354 million will be required on top of the $139.1 million in projected City support to restore free tuition. The City should at least appropriate another $20 million towards the cost of free textbooks. I believe it quite possible to appropriate at least another $100 million towards improving salary levels, promoting adjunct professors to associate professor rank and other improvements.
c. In the next budget. I hope if elected to appropriate sufficient funds in an interim budget to cover the cost of free tuition and textbooks for the term starting Feb. 2002.

3. CHILDCARE:
Over 60% of CUNY students are parents, and the majority of this number attend community colleges.
(a) What plans might you have to assist students who are parents?
(b) How would these ideas be reflected in both the City and State budgets?

a.Establish day-care centers at all community and senior colleges for welfare mothers and working mothers (and fathers as well)
b. Hopefully, it will not be necessary to depend on additional state aid, but 2002 is a year of state elections so pressure can be applied to legislators and statewide officials and their challengers.

4. WELFARE:
Last fall, the Work-Study/Internship Bill, which allows students on public assistance to count their campus work-study and internships, was written into State law.
(a) Would you continue to support that legislation?
(b) In addition, would you support legislation that would allow college education (i.e. class attendance) to count as work activity?
(c) Would you initiate such legislation?
(d) What else might you do to assist college students on public assistance?

a. Yes.
b. Yes.
c. Yes.
d. As a veteran of World War II, 20 months in the European theater of operations as a radio mechanic in the Eighth Air Force, I was provided with a free education at Columbia College, free textbooks and $75 dollars a month (sufficient in those days) to live on. The City should do as much as possible to create the same climate that I benefited from and not to think of it as welfare. College is hard work and I would like to see young people anxious to learn enjoy some recreation and not be bound by a future of several years of debt repayment.

5. FINANCIAL AID:
According to a National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education's report (Measuring Up 2000: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education), New Yorkers who send dependents to college spend more than 1/3 of their family income on higher education-even after financial aid is deducted. This seems to indicate that financial aid, specifically the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), must be expanded.
(a) Do you agree with this statement?
(b) Would you promote and/or support legislation that will enhance TAP and financial aid?
(c) What are some ways you might do so?

a. Yes.
b. It will be a top priority.
c. Mobilize mayors around the country and pressure local legislators who want my support.

  At CUNY's community colleges, full-time faculty represent 44% of the total faculty, while part-time faculty or adjuncts represent 56% of instruction. At the senior college level, CUNY is at a 51% to 49% full-time to part-time ratio. Overall, since 1974, CUNY has lost nearly one-half of their entire full-time faculty.
(a) Do you support the need for more full-time faculty lines?
(b) If so, what ratio between full-time and part-time do you deem as reasonable for a high-quality education, and over what period of time would you plan to implement this ratio?

a. Yes.
b.I plan to appoint a field professional, such as Dr. Roscoe Brown, as Deputy Mayor for education and cultural affairs. He would be in a better position to determine the proper ratio of full-time to part-time faculty. My own inclination is to aim for hundred percent full-time faculty.

  Merit scholarships, such as the New York City Council Merit Award, provide incentives for academically talented students to attend CUNY. This year, Mayor Guiliani proposed to cut this program in his budget.
(a) If elected, would you support the next Mayor to do the same?
(b) Would you consider establishing additional merit incentives for NYC students?
(c) If yes, please give some examples (e.g. areas of study, merit criteria, etc.).

a. I would increase rather than decrease this program
b. Yes.
c. I do not believe in restricting these awards to any one discipline. I would prefer to have the merit criteria selected by professionals.

8. COLLEGE NOW:
College NOW is a CUNY initiative that helps New York City high school students prepare for college through extra academic assistance and training courses at their school and on various community college campuses.
(a) Do you support the College NOW program?
(b) Would you increase funding to enable expanding College NOW?
(c) If yes, by how much and over what period of time?

a. Yes.
b. Yes.
c. I would like widespread use of this program and would try to find the necessary resources for a substantial expansion.

9. REMEDIATION:
Last year, the CUNY Master Plan removed remediation from its four-year colleges. Now, extra academic assistance and tutoring are only available to students studying at CUNY's community colleges.
(a) Do you agree with this action?
(b) Why or why not?
(c) Would you restore remediation to the four-year campuses?

a. No.
b. I required remediation in writing when I entered Columbia. I think it was valuable, and indeed I have written professionally. The opposition to remediation seems to me unprofessional and mean-spirited.
c. Yes.

10. CAPITAL PROJECTS:
With the institution of the CUNY Master Plan and the shift of remediation to the community colleges, some would claim that the community colleges need more basic infrastructure resources such as buildings and technology.
(a) Do you agree with this argument?
(b) If so, are you prepared to propose and to fight for money for capital projects so that the community colleges can successfully absorb CUNY's Master Plan?
(c) What are some ways you might do this?

a. I do not want to see community colleges and senior college competing for funds. If the government is operated efficiently through elimination of patronage, privatization and drastic reductions in the contracting out process, there'll be sufficient funds for both community and senior colleges.
b. Yes.
c. I will put sufficient funds in the capital budget.

Restoring free tuition and textbooks, improving faculty and student morale, expanding the list of courses available to students

For about four years during the '90s, I attended Hunter College as a senior citizen for $72 per semester, taking courses in Hebrew, political science and economics. I was very impressed with the student body and faculty and well aware of the difficulties both faced. One semester, I wished to enroll in a course on the history of New York City (I am working on a book on the history of New York City from 1939 to date). This course is only offered in the spring semester. Properly, priority is given to regular students and, consequently, there was no room for me. This is an important subject, which all students should be encouraged to take. Yet there was only one course in one semester. In my economic course, I experienced difficulty with the charts and graphs necessary for full understanding of the subject. I learned of "recitation" classes a sort of remediation available to students. I attended. They were quite helpful, but very few other students were present.. I made inquiries. Many students could not spare the required time from work. Obviously more funding for classes and student assistance is needed. These are among the leading reason for my Mayoral candidacy.

When New York City, during the Depression with a one percent sales tax and no income tax was able to provide free textbooks and tuition, and during the prosperous '90s within 8 1/4 percent sales tax and a City income tax is not able, or more likely willing, to provide free tuition and textbooks, something is wrong with the thinking of the political culture and the way the city of New York is governed.

During the 1930's depression, Mayor LaGuardia paid his own rent at 1275 5th Avenue and the College Presidents did the same. During his last term, the City provided him with Gracie Mansion and eventually the, at times otherwise penurious, Trustees endowed the 19 Senior and Community College heads with luxurious living quarters in addition to ample salaries. There is no evidence that during LaGuardia's third and last term he was a better Mayor. I believe the $190,000 Mayoral salary should suffice and I intend to turn Gracie Mansion back to the city and pay my own living expenses out of that more than generous compensation, hopefully setting an example that the Trustees might copy.

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