Paterson predicts $3 billion budget deficit

Leaders meeting sets the stage for cuts

ALBANY -- Gov. David Paterson said he expects the current estimated budget deficit of $2.1 billion to grow to around $3 billion before the end of the fiscal year, adding urgency to his call for legislative leaders on both sides to set aside partisanship and posturing in order to enact a series of midyear cuts.


Paterson emphasized that figure wasn't a "hard" number, but said that upcoming budget reports would lend greater clarity to the size of the gap.
With Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch by his side, the newly clean-shaven Paterson asked the four leaders of the Senate and Assembly to bring their economic staffers together to begin working through ideas to be acted upon in a special session -- the date for which could be announced as early as next week.

In general, the tone of the meeting was collegial and largely free of the back-biting that hampered many such meetings over the past year.

Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, in his first solo appearance at a leaders meeting, said his conference needed a better sense of the size of the deficit to avoid "government by guesswork."

"We need real numbers ... so we can find real savings," Sampson said.

Sampson's Senate leadership colleagues, Temporary President Malcolm Smith and Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., did not attend the meeting in the Capitol's Red Room.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos reiterated his hope that midyear cuts would fully involve members of his conference, unlike the crafting of the 2009-2010 budget. Skelos and Sampson seemed to be in agreement that whatever fiscal measures are taken should not add to New Yorkers' tax burden -- a sentiment that Paterson agreed with.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he was preparing his conference for "tough choices."

"We are required to provide our working families, our children in the classrooms, our elderly, those citizens ... who go to us for last resort" in times of crisis, he told the governor. " ... We're prepared to roll up our sleeves and work with you."

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb expressed frustration that the governor failed to respond to his earlier calls for a leaders meeting.

"The voters are upset and mad we aren't taking actions ... that we haven't met this summer to address these issues," said Kolb.