Paterson Urges Albany Leaders To Close Billions In Budget Gap

By: Erin Billups

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With the state budget nearly two months late, the need for cuts in state spending took center stage at another public meeting of legislative leaders in Albany Tuesday.

Governor David Paterson said the state Legislature's two houses remain far short of meeting his recommendations in cuts to close a mounting budget deficit.

"The whole sense of reaching decisions is impaired by, obviously, the political environment," said the governor.

Paterson said the state needs to close an $9.2 billion gap in the budget, and both the Assembly and the State Senate are are at least $2.5 billion short of that figure.

The governor acknowledged proposed cuts may seem small in number, but cautions cuts in one area can have drastic implications on a wider level.

"It's the various different areas where there are disagreements that are probably slight numerically, when you compare it to a $130 billion budget and a $9.2 billion deficit reduction, but they are very significant because if you touch on any of them, it ignites other issues," Paterson said.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver suggested getting staffs together to discuss the allocations of cuts and report back by Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos said the state must address is Medicaid spending and address widespread fraud, which he said will help improve reform.