BALDWINSVILLE - Good to his word, Gov. Eliot Spitzer began personally pitching his $120.6 billion proposed state budget directly to New Yorkers, sitting down at home Thursday with an upstate couple and friends during a snowstorm.

“I thought he was upfront and candid. He seemed to know our concerns,” said Tim Pasto, a 28-year-old high school global studies teacher, after hosting Spitzer and Lt. Gov. David Paterson for a cup of coffee and a 40-minute conversation.

Pasto and his wife, Megan, 25, her parents and four other upstate residents listened as Spitzer outlined the priorities of his spending plan and described how the proposals would apply to the group in their everyday lives.

The two politicians were a half-hour late, delayed by snow squalls that slowed their drive from the Syracuse airport. Spitzer offered the couple a box of freshly baked raisin bread as a gift.

After talking briefly with each person, Spitzer encouraged everyone to, “Tell us what we haven't thought about that matters to you.”

“The questions I wanted to know, he pretty much answered,” said Jason Howell, a 25-year-old pharmaceutical engineer, who is married and expecting a first child in July. “It's encouraging to have a leader who wants to listen.”

Spitzer described his plans for cutting property taxes as a way to help curb the exodus of businesses and young people from New York. He explained reining in the growth of state spending on health care and carrying out an independent commission's recommendation to close costly, underused hospitals.

And he spoke about the need for overhauling the state's education aid formula and making schools more accountable for the money they spend, which were subjects Pasto wanted to hear about.

“Being a teacher, his ideas about educational reform are important to me,” said Pasto, who also is a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard. He and his wife, who works in a medical billing office, have a one-month-old girl.

“I think this is fantastic that he's opening up state government to real people like us. Especially coming upstate. We have a reputation for being treated like the redheaded stepchild by state government,” Pasto said

Bret Hartman, a 28-year-old financial administrator, said he was most impressed by Spitzer's ideas to help turn Syracuse and New York into hub of green technology by investing more in renewable and alternative energy.

“My biggest concern is the loss of manufacturing jobs,” said Hartman, who now works for his family's machine shop business in Marathon. “And the high cost of energy is number one for manufacturing here in New York. Lowering those costs would produce incredible results.”

Hartman, an active Republican, said he did not vote for Spitzer but admitted being impressed by his resume. After meeting the governor, Hartman gave him his nod.

“I think he's going to be the right man for the job. He's hard working. He gets things done. And he's listening, that's important,” Hartman said.

Spitzer left each person with a laminated palm card showing how his budget is “New York's Turning Point.” With a pie chart and purple bar graphs, the card shows how Spitzer proposes saving $2.8 billion while still providing property tax cuts and “fully funding” schools.

Expecting a battle over his proposals from both the state Senate and Assembly, Spitzer said he would seek support for his plans directly from the public that gave him a historic share of the vote in November.

The governor also sat later Thursday with a family in Union. Next week, he will make visits in Westchester on Monday and in Buffalo and Rochester on Wednesday, said his spokeswoman, Christine Anderson.