Well, it’s a start in the right direction, just not enough and the priorities seem to be just a little skewed in the wrong direction. First the Robin Hood syndrome of taxing the rich to give to the poor, the the excessive growth of state employees. Tedisco has it right at least put a freeze on hiring, that alone will save a ton of cash.

As an aside, how much is in the pork section of the budget this year?

Paterson: Cut budget by $800 million
ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson Tuesday proposed cutting state spending by $800 million - an across-the-board cut of 2 percent.

“New York is facing a fiscal challenge that we have not seen since the dark days following Sept. 11,” he said, “and our state budget must face that reality.”

The reductions, which would have to be approved by the Legislature, would affect aid to localities as well as cuts to state agencies. But schools as well as health and welfare programs would not be affected.

Paterson made his proposal to legislative leaders just a day after he took the oath of office to succeed Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace after he allegedly patronized a prostitute. The leaders said they supported the cuts.

Spitzer left Paterson, a former state senator from Harlem, with a dicey financial situation: a big budget hole, a faltering economy and a March 31 deadline for adopting a new spending plan.

The new governor held a meeting with legislative leaders Tuesday to try to work out a deal, but as they detailed their positions his task appeared even more daunting.

Both the Senate and Assembly leaders acknowledged budget holes, but had very different ways to fill them.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, wants to raise income taxes on people who earn more than $1 million a year to raise $1.5 billion.

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, Rensselaer County, rejected any tax hikes. Instead he estimated that a number of potential state resources, including lottery profits, cigarette-tax proceeds, balances in other state accounts and other purposes, can generate $2.2 billion more than Silver the state Budget Division estimate.

“We have significant differences on revenues,” Bruno said. “We count differently.”

Bruno and Silver were to meet later Tuesday to try to start to work out their differences.

No layoffs are anticipated, said state Budget Division spokesman Jeffrey Gordon. He said it’s up to individual departments to decide how to make the cuts - which will be on top of 5 percent reductions Spitzer ordered in January.

Aid to localities, arts, and agricultural and economic-development programs are among the local-assistance programs that would be reduced, Gordon said.

Assembly Minority Leader James Tediscso, R-Schenectady, suggested an immediate job freeze, but he got no support for the idea. Paterson said the number of state jobs now planned to be added next year - about 1,300 - could be trimmed.