ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson says the New York Legislature's inaction so far on spending cuts he wants approved in Tuesday's emergency economic session is embarrassing and more than irresponsible.
“It is really just being out of touch with where the people of New York are,” Paterson said in a brief teleconference with reporters Monday.
“The people of New York have no sympathy for the Legislature. Individuals have had to cut back on their costs.”
Failure to act on his $5 billion in proposed cuts Tuesday would be “more than irresponsible, it doesn't make sense ... it's embarrassing,” Paterson said.
He also said failure to address the projected $2 billion deficit this fiscal year will drive up the deficit forecast for next year from $12.5 billion to $15 billion.
Paterson noted Citigroup Inc.'s announcement Monday it will cut 53,000 more jobs, showing Wall Street's meltdown is far from over.
And state Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli announced state tax collections have been so dismal that officials projected zero dollars in business tax revenue for October.
State budget officials had projected the tax would generate $111 million during the month.
The Republican-led Senate and Democrat-led Assembly hadn't agreed to any spending cuts ahead of Tuesday's emergency legislative session, but both chambers planned closed-door conferences Monday night to further discuss Paterson's proposals.
Albany's powerful special interests - including teachers' unions and other public employee unions - have fought Paterson's proposals.
Hundreds of protesters were scheduled to arrive in more than two dozen buses Tuesday to oppose his education and health care cuts.
A Siena College poll found three-quarters of New Yorkers want spending reduced, rather than any increases in taxes or borrowing, but most polled also didn't want education or health care cut. And despite Paterson's opposition to raising taxes, 77 percent of those polled expect he'll cave in the end.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Republican, intends to bring Paterson's spending bills to the floor Tuesday, where they will likely die. Senate Republicans oppose Paterson's school aid and to health care cuts. Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, who is in line to lead the new Democratic majority come Jan. 1, wouldn't say if he had enough votes to pass any of Paterson's bills.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says some of Paterson's proposals go too far, but he said the Legislature should take action Tuesday because delay will only make the fiscal chaos worse.
But Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said Skelos made it clear he wants a more comprehensive fiscal picture before considering midyear cuts.
That could mean no negotiation or action until after Paterson proposes his 2009-10 budget on Dec. 16, or it could mean Skelos the GOP senators could pass the need for deep spending cuts on to the Democratic majority, which would have a tenuous 32-30 majority on Jan. 1 after more than 40 years of Republican rule. Skelos is also counting on a federal stimulus package under negotiation in Washington, which could bring billions of dollars to New York.
Skelos also wants to avoid midyear cuts in school aid, which he said would be most disruptive. Waiting for the 2009-10 budget to address the crisis would also allow lawmakers to make the politically difficult choices once, rather than twice.
Smith supported Paterson and said his Democratic conference wants to help, but he wouldn't say if the conference had enough votes to pass the spending cuts, even if he won over some Republican votes.
“We believe the governor is doing the right thing and leading the state and this government in the right way,” Smith said.
Silver said he, too, supports the governor, but wouldn't name any specific proposal he or his conference supports.
“Members of my conference understand the severity of the problem and that early action is better than later action, it makes the cuts less severe,” Silver said. “I'm looking at a lot of things I'm supportive of myself, but there's no sense negotiating in the press.”
The Siena poll questioned 626 registered voters Nov. 10-13 and has a margin of error of about 4 percent.
“The people of New York have no sympathy for the Legislature. Individuals have had to cut back on their costs.”
Failure to act on his $5 billion in proposed cuts Tuesday would be “more than irresponsible, it doesn't make sense ... it's embarrassing,” Paterson said.
He also said failure to address the projected $2 billion deficit this fiscal year will drive up the deficit forecast for next year from $12.5 billion to $15 billion.
Paterson noted Citigroup Inc.'s announcement Monday it will cut 53,000 more jobs, showing Wall Street's meltdown is far from over.
And state Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli announced state tax collections have been so dismal that officials projected zero dollars in business tax revenue for October.
State budget officials had projected the tax would generate $111 million during the month.
The Republican-led Senate and Democrat-led Assembly hadn't agreed to any spending cuts ahead of Tuesday's emergency legislative session, but both chambers planned closed-door conferences Monday night to further discuss Paterson's proposals.
Albany's powerful special interests - including teachers' unions and other public employee unions - have fought Paterson's proposals.
Hundreds of protesters were scheduled to arrive in more than two dozen buses Tuesday to oppose his education and health care cuts.
A Siena College poll found three-quarters of New Yorkers want spending reduced, rather than any increases in taxes or borrowing, but most polled also didn't want education or health care cut. And despite Paterson's opposition to raising taxes, 77 percent of those polled expect he'll cave in the end.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Republican, intends to bring Paterson's spending bills to the floor Tuesday, where they will likely die. Senate Republicans oppose Paterson's school aid and to health care cuts. Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, who is in line to lead the new Democratic majority come Jan. 1, wouldn't say if he had enough votes to pass any of Paterson's bills.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says some of Paterson's proposals go too far, but he said the Legislature should take action Tuesday because delay will only make the fiscal chaos worse.
But Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said Skelos made it clear he wants a more comprehensive fiscal picture before considering midyear cuts.
That could mean no negotiation or action until after Paterson proposes his 2009-10 budget on Dec. 16, or it could mean Skelos the GOP senators could pass the need for deep spending cuts on to the Democratic majority, which would have a tenuous 32-30 majority on Jan. 1 after more than 40 years of Republican rule. Skelos is also counting on a federal stimulus package under negotiation in Washington, which could bring billions of dollars to New York.
Skelos also wants to avoid midyear cuts in school aid, which he said would be most disruptive. Waiting for the 2009-10 budget to address the crisis would also allow lawmakers to make the politically difficult choices once, rather than twice.
Smith supported Paterson and said his Democratic conference wants to help, but he wouldn't say if the conference had enough votes to pass the spending cuts, even if he won over some Republican votes.
“We believe the governor is doing the right thing and leading the state and this government in the right way,” Smith said.
Silver said he, too, supports the governor, but wouldn't name any specific proposal he or his conference supports.
“Members of my conference understand the severity of the problem and that early action is better than later action, it makes the cuts less severe,” Silver said. “I'm looking at a lot of things I'm supportive of myself, but there's no sense negotiating in the press.”
The Siena poll questioned 626 registered voters Nov. 10-13 and has a margin of error of about 4 percent.
