Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee spends much of his time these days lunching with lawmakers and talking on the telephone to those who can increase funding for higher education.’I’m trying to make the case early, and have been lobbying like crazy,’ Gee said.After the budget is officially released Monday, the numbers go to the general assembly, where the lobbying will make the most impact.Gee encourages students who share his concern to call their representative.’I am only one vote, but there are 60,000 students who are the powerful force that need to be telling the story,’ Gee said.The first step is to get informed, then to make concerns known to local legislators, including the governor’s office, and anyone who is involved in the budget process, Gee said.Making phone calls is a good way to get the point across to our legislators that are working for us, he said.The reason Gee is lobbying so hard is because of the numbers appearing on a document from the Ohio Board of Regents Operating Budget Recommendations for fiscal years 1998 and 1999.This document shows the Department of Ohio Budget and Management sliced $200 million of the Regents’ recommended budget. Contacted for comment, the governor’s office referred all questions to the Department of Ohio Budget and Management.Department officials said they could not discuss figures until the budget is officially released Monday.’I think in the end the governor will be supportive, he will hear our side of the story,’ Gee said.Gov. George V. Voinovich, who disputes the percentages contained in the Regents’ budget, complained in a letter to the Regents’ chancellor, Elaine Hairston, that the figures ‘are just plain wrong.’In the letter, Gov. Voinovich claims that the 2.2 percent increase, beyond the 1997 fiscal year education budget, is actually a 3.4 percent increase.The difference apparently occurred because the Regents revised the fiscal year 1997 education budget downward reflecting an anticipated shortfall in funding.Gee said he will take nothing less than what the Regents have recommended.’If you say, oh well, I’ll accept ‘x’ instead of ‘y’, that becomes the ceiling instead of the floor,’ Gee said.