On Monday, Governor David Paterson of New York called an unnusual joint session of the state's Legislature to plead with recalcitrant lawmakers to close the state government's huge budget gap before New York runs out of cash.

According to WCBS TV Channel 2 New York City News, "to some lawmakers it's nothing more than a phot-op to help Paterson get re-elected. But the governor is dead serious. He said if the Legislature doesn't cut the budget now the state could run out of money by next month."

Paterson said, "we're going to run out of cash in four and a half weeks. We are going to run out of money. Unless we do something about it, (it will) threaten generations."

And so started what is turning out to be a rivetting tug-of-war between Gov. Paterson and the Legislature.

As reported by WCBS, "the governor says $3.2 billion in cuts must be enacted now - or else. The cuts range from $500 million in agency spending to over $1 billion in already committed aid to school districts and hospitals."

Gov. Paterson said, "I will mortgage my political career, but I will not mortgage the fate of the State of New York."

Yet Senate Democrats with their tenuous 32-30 hold on the upper house, are petrified of making school and hospital cuts since they said, the reductions would result in increases in local property taxes.

That would mean suburban Democrats on Long Island, in Westchester and other parts of the state would face difficulties getting re-elected next year.

Actually, high property taxes caused the ouster of numerous suburban Democrats last week, which included Westchester County Executive Director Andy Spano, Tom Suozzi, Nassau County executive director, could also be defeated once absentee ballots are counted.

WCBS quotes Sen. Andrew Lanza (R.-Staten Island) as saying that, "last year, in the midst of this financial crisis, the Senate and the Assembly together with the Governor decided to raise spending by $12 billion."

To read the entire article from WCBS Channel 2 New York City News, link here:

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