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The pressure is mounting as the State Senate moves deeper into week five of the standoff. Currently, there's no clear line of succession in Albany should something happen to Governor David Paterson. There's also no swing vote to break the 31-to-31 tie.

"They are holding up all sorts of legislation that counties and municipalities need while they are having this family fight, and I think it's a shame," said Paterson.

One solution calls for Paterson to appoint a lieutenant governor himself -- an idea he says he looked at when first becoming governor, but later decided not to do.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says he disapproves of the idea, but Paterson isn't ruling it out.

Some see politics at play in Cuomo's opposition since he's considered a likely candidate for governor in 2010 and a rival to Paterson.

But in a sign that the governor isn't accepting Cuomo's reading of the law, his lawyer spoke Tuesday with those backing the plan.

"Just to see if they have any new information or the circumstances have changed the situation. And we'll take a look at it," said Paterson.

Further fueling the lieutenant governor talk was Paterson's appearance Tuesday with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who is considered a possible contender for the seat.

Without an end to the stalemate, things are only going to get worse as the city continues to lose $60 million a month. And only a day after imposing an immediate hiring freeze, Mayor Michael Bloomberg raised the specter of layoffs.

"Will it ever get to the point where we have to layoff? All they've got to do is keep going," said Bloomberg.