For the 2008-2009 school year Cayuga Community College has requested a 4 percent increase in funding from the county. The request met with mixed reviews, as some members of legislature feel the college should not receive the increase because the college still has a $500,000 surplus from 2007-2008.

But SUNY standards require the college to have at least a 5 percent surplus built into the budget. In the meantime, tuition costs are rising and the college does not anticipate an astronomical jump in enrollment.

It isn't fair to penalize the students with high tuition bills. Especially considering community colleges are intended, at least in part, to accommodate the income restrictions of the district. As many students live in outlying rural communities, the cost of gas is already a burden for commuters; which is technically all of the students. I can appreciate the need to limit spending, but students should never take the hit.

This issue goes beyond the county. The state budget is in horrible shape and the county will undoubtedly struggle to manage the budget cuts. But the college has not received an increase in county funding for the last two years. The fact the college has been able to hang on to the mandatory surplus in an ever-weakening economy is a testament to fine, practical money management.

But creative accounting and good budgeting can't be sustained forever. And why punish a business for its successes? The college is more than extremely important to our community; it is absolutely crucial. Apart from the prison and possibly Wal-Mart, CCC is a vital part of the economic-engine that keeps this county afloat. As the cost of operations will undoubtedly increase this year, the county should feel an obligation to give back to an institution that reflects so well on our community.

In the grand scheme of things, to give the college an extra $100,000 a year is a drop in the bucket. I don't deny that times are tough and pennies much be pinched. But I feel confident that if we pulled out our red pens, we could find some frivolous expenditure that could be marginalized to grant the college its request.

The longer the county goes without increasing funding to the college, the harder it's going to be to come up with the money later. We cannot make a habit out of cutting funding from the same places year after year. The college has been operating under the same funding for two years. CCC is due for an increase.

Estabrook's column appears Mondays and she can be reached atestabrookcarole@yahoo.com