Protesters hold camp-in at the Capitol

Bjarni Thoroddsson March 30, 2011 0

YNN

Albany

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/politics/538352/protesters-hold-camp-in-at-the-capitol/

While the Capitol bustled with lawmakers working on the budget, a number of protesters planned on staying there through the night.

Teachers, health care advocates, public employees and college students all prepared to sleep over as a protest to across the board cuts to education and health care spending. Protesters are calling the $132.5 billion budget painful and heartless. They know that there is a serious budget deficit to fill, but they say there has got to be a better way.

“We have $362 million being taken away from SUNY, $362 million when students are going hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, $362 million. That’s disgusting, that’s obscene,” protester Clifford Cawthom said.

“Things that I had in school, music, arts, they don’t have that. So as far as culturally as an American, I mean, where are we going?” protester Albert Taylor said.

Whether the camp out makes a difference on budget decisions, protesters say they will keep fighting for change.

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