Pitt Students organize letter writing campaign to fight 30% state funding cut

Colleges & Universities University of Pittsburgh
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<p>[Pitt</a> student governments launch letter writing campaign | The Pitt News](<a href=“http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pitt-student-governments-launch-letter-writing-campaign/]Pitt”>Pitt student governments launch letter writing campaign - The Pitt News)</p>

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<p>I think you have linked to an article from 2011. Regardless, I hope there is a good effort to fight back on this. Maybe using online petitions like Change.org does.</p>

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<p>They’re doing the letter writing campaign again this year: [Chancellor</a> Mark Nordenberg addresses state budget cuts | The Pitt News](<a href=“http://pittnews.com/newsstory/chancellor-mark-nordenberg-addresses-state-budget-cuts/]Chancellor”>Chancellor Mark Nordenberg addresses state budget cuts - The Pitt News)</p>

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<p>This is a great idea. Look at how well it worked last year.</p>

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<p>Last year, the campaign by students and parents resulted in the cut being reduced by one-half. A 50% cut was proposed by the Governor last year in a single year. That was the largest proposed cut in one year in state funding of colleges in US History.</p>

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<p>Nobody expected the 50% cut to hold up last year when the budget went to the legislature. To claim “the campaign by students and parents resulted in the cut being reduced by one-half” is disingenuous…at best.</p>

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<p>The universities had planned for a budget cut last year - they expected to do their part to close the deficit, and had already been cutting programs and reducing employment by attrition and freezing salaries in many cases. However, no one had expected even a 20 to 30% cut last year.</p>

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<p>No one can say it didn’t have an effect either. To definitively state that it had no impact is simply unfounded cynicism.</p>

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<p>Who said it had “no impact”? I seriously doubt it had much impact.</p>

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<p>Having some impact is better than having zero impact.</p>

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<p>[Pitt</a> News article about state Representative Jaret Gibbons encouraging students to write letters](<a href=“http://pittnews.com/newsstory/state-representative-gibbons-talks-to-students-about-budget-cuts/]Pitt”>State Representative Gibbons talks to students about budget cuts - The Pitt News).</p>

<p>“Gibbons spoke about the importance of writing personal letters to students’ local legislators and said he can tell the difference when a letter is personal, which he said is more effective.”</p>

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<p>Well if Gibbons says it helps then of course it must.</p>