As he prepares to unveil his budget plans for the coming year, Governor David Paterson says he wants an overhaul of how the state handles its university system. Paterson would give the schools more "operational independence" and more say over the money they raise through tuition and how that money is spent. Our Bill Carey says the leaders of SUNY schools in Central New York vow to fight alongside the governor to win approval of the plan.

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"It brought 34,000 guests to our campus, to Central New York. It also brought over $4 million in economic activity to Cortland and the surrounding counties," said Dr. Erik Bitterbaum, President of SUNY Cortland.

Bitterbaum was relieved. All too often, frustrating paperwork and bureaucracy had sidelined projects proposed by the school. It is a story repeated again and again by State University officials.

At Upstate Medical University's University Hospital, a key piece of equipment broke down, affecting treatment for cancer patients. With state paperwork, it took close to a year to replace it.

"Cornell and its veterinary college could get the same piece of equipment in three weeks," said Upstate Medical University President Dr. David Smith.

There is also frustration over Albany's budget problems, which often end up tapping local monies, like tuition.

"Locally collected revenues were extracted from my campus and used by the state to solve its financial woes," said Dr. Raymond Cross, President of Morrisville State College.

The new plan, they claim, solves those problems and also encourages research helping to fuel the economy.

"Over the next five to 10 years, would be able to add 22 hundred new faculty, research faculty, to positively affect the environment of Central New York," said SUNY ESF President Neil Murphy.

They also applaud provisions for tuition rates to be set locally, not by the legislature.

"The rational tuition policy simply makes sense. It makes sense for SUNY institutions to be able to plan appropriately and, certainly, it makes sense for families as they plan," said Dr. Debbie Sydow, Onondaga Community College President.

"They will be able to look across four or five years, when their students will be at SUNY, at a particular campus and understand what those costs will be," said SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley.

The next major hurdle is whether the Governor and the heads of these colleges can sell the state legislature on adopting the new system. They're hoping what they see as the logic of the situation will win out.