University professors aren’t exactly fa mous for their firm grasp of what mere mortals think of as “reality.”
Profs who also belong to New York state public-employee unions? They might as well be on Mars.
The American Association of University Professors yesterday reported that, nationwide, academics’ salaries last year rose just 1.2 percent — the lowest increase in 50 years.
But such austerities don’t concern the professors at the state-funded SUNY and CUNY systems, who saw their pay jump a cushy 3 percent.
SUNY profs are due for another four percent raise this July.
And that’s just the latest evidence that Albany’s public payroll has swelled far beyond what employees should reasonably expect — or what taxpayers can pay.
The state, after all, faces a $9.2 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year that started April 1. Gov. Paterson even took the step of freezing the 4 percent wage hikes that were to go out to the state’s biggest public-employee unions this month — at least until Albany leaders can agree to a budget.
In any other state, that would be considered a no-brainer. Indeed, a number of local governments have won voluntary union concessions to help put the books in order.
But New York is not most states — and, sure enough, the unions have promised to sue to restore their cash.
Paterson needs to stand firm.
In fact, if the budget’s still not done by July, we can think of another union he should get tough with.
It’s the least he can do.