SUNY students will rally at the second annual SUNY Palooza in Albany Wednesday to protest budget cuts proposed by New York Gov. David Paterson for the 2010-11 academic year.

Juliette Price, SUNY Student Assembly director of communications, disagrees with Paterson’s plan to cut $142.8 million from the central SUNY budget.

“The state legislature needs to understand that by underfunding schools, they are depriving our generation of much-needed resources,” she said. “We are the economic engines of the future, and by putting us into debt, it’s not solving anything.”

According to Lars Faulstich, chair of the Student Association research and planning committee, an Off Campus College Transport bus has been chartered by the SA for students interested in attending the rally Wednesday. The bus will leave Binghamton University at 7:30 a.m. and leave Albany by 4:30 p.m.

“Last year, I assume a bunch of students got to Albany by carpooling,” Faulstich said. “By chartering a bus, we hope to have more of a presence in Albany … I hope to fill up the bus this year.”

More than 100 students traveled to the state capital for the first SUNY Palooza, and Price is expecting more than 200 participants this Wednesday. Students are set to protest in front of the state capital and lobby inside to garner support from state Assembly members.

Price emphasized that student involvement in these issues shows that SUNY students are not willing to stand back and stomach the budget and tuition hikes. “By lobbying and protesting, it shows that we are not ignorant of state issues and are not an apathetic generation.”

In 2008, the budget was cut by $146 million, increasing tuition by $610. Of the $610 paid by students, 10 percent went directly to the schools that year. The rest of the money was used to alleviate the state deficit.

“The SA and the administration are very aware of Gov. Paterson’s proposed budget for the coming year,” said Jared Kirschenbaum, SA executive vice president and president-elect, in response to the pending cut. “As a matter of fact, a bill which is on the table right now, the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, is supported by the administration. We hope it gets passed.”

The Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, if passed by the New York state legislature, would enable SUNY and CUNY schools to have more independence in terms of dealing with their budgets. The act would take tuition outside the state budget process, allowing SUNY and CUNY schools to determine what to do with revenues from tuition and programs without an appropriation, as well as limiting the amount SUNY and CUNY schools can increase tuition.

“Tuition will go up if we don’t fight,” Kirschenbaum said. “We have to make it known for the average Joes here on campus that if no one stands up against these hikes, they will happen.”