Q&A
Discussion on CUNY's budget and efforts to combat antisemitism
1:55:02
·
91 sec
Council Member Kalman Yeger questions CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez about CUNY's budget and the effectiveness of current efforts to address antisemitism on campus. Yeger suggests that the current approach, including additional funding from the City Council, may be insufficient to solve the problem.
- CUNY's overall annual budget is confirmed to be $4.2 billion.
- Yeger argues that $500,000 from the City Council is not enough to address antisemitism effectively.
- The council member suggests that expelling students who commit antisemitic acts might be a more effective approach.
- Rodriguez defends the importance of educational programming and creating an environment with less antisemitism.
- Yeger concludes by emphasizing that ignoring the problem won't make it go away and that additional funding alone is not the solution.
Kalman Yeger
1:55:02
Chancellor, how much is the budget of CUNY a year?
1:55:04
It's about 4,200,000,000.
1:55:07
4.2 how much?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:55:08
1000000000.
1:55:09
1000000000 with a b?
1:55:11
No.
1:55:11
Sorry.
1:55:11
Sorry.
1:55:12
4 yeah.
1:55:13
4.2.
1:55:14
1000000000 with a b?
1:55:16
Yeah.
Kalman Yeger
1:55:16
Yes.
1:55:16
It's a big budget.
1:55:17
Yep.
1:55:18
Okay.
1:55:19
I mean, I I don't $500,000 from the council is nice.
1:55:23
400
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:55:23
Now now you got me confused.
Kalman Yeger
1:55:25
I'm asking you a question.
1:55:26
The budget for CUNY, overall, all your campuses, the whole business, the whole shebang, all in 4.2.
1:55:32
Billion.
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:55:32
Yes.
1:55:33
Would it be?
Kalman Yeger
1:55:34
Yes.
1:55:34
Just wanna make sure.
1:55:35
Okay.
1:55:35
And sometimes people hear 1,000,000, and then they say, well, that's just a couple of 1,000,000.
1:55:38
Not a big deal.
1:55:39
1,000,000,000.
1:55:40
Okay.
1:55:40
So $500,000 here and there from the city council is not gonna solve your problem with antisemites on your campuses.
1:55:46
Right?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
1:55:47
Well, it's clearly an important part to do a locational programming and to do the kinds of things to create a world in which we have a lot less antisemitism.
1:55:55
Yes.
Kalman Yeger
1:55:55
Okay.
1:55:56
Maybe if you started expelling the students who were committing antisemitic incidents against their fellow students, you wouldn't need extra money because they would be gone 1 by 1 until you've cleaned your ranks from the antisemites who are attacking, harassing, terrorizing Jewish students.
1:56:18
Thank you, Councilman Breen.
1:56:19
If we continue I'm gonna close that.
1:56:21
If we continue to ignore it, the problem's not gonna go away.
1:56:25
And $500,000 from the city council is not going to get the anti Semites off your campuses.
1:56:31
Thank you, mister chairman.
