State budget proposal a bleak one for many

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State budget proposal a bleak one for many

By EVAN WHITE

Story Created: Dec 16, 2008 at 1:37 PM EST

Story Updated: Dec 16, 2008 at 11:15 PM EST

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Governor David Paterson says New York made "too many promises and asked for too few sacrifices."

For that reason, his budget is a bleak one for many.

Paterson proposed legislation to fill the $1.7 billion  budget gap for this fiscal year, in addition to a proposal for the new year.

Many of the same components of the $1.7 billion deficit reduction plan can be found in Paterson's budget cutting proposal from November. It includes $500 million in health care savings and a $50 million dollar cut to the Environmental Protection Fund among others.

Here are a few parts of the new budget:

  • School aid is expected to be cut by $689 million.
  • Higher education funding would increase $121 million.
  • SUNY, CUNY tuition would increase $432-million.
  • The state workforce would be reduced by 3,108 employees that includes 521 layoffs.

Paterson says he's introduced the budget early in hopes that it will be passed by March 1st, it is not due by law until April 1st.

"I have been told that this cannot be accomplished that we cant pass the budget on time or a month earlier, yes we can...the reality is that the resident of our state are looking to us for leadership and in many respects so is our country," said Paterson.

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