Gov. David Paterson continued to chide lawmakers today about not coming up with a solution to New York’s $3.2 billion deficit. If the state doesn’t cut costs, it won’t be able to pay all its bills next month, including aid to schools, he said during a news conference this afternoon. He said lawmakers have decided there are “sacred cows” in Albany and are “afraid of the special interests.” He said there are too many legislators are “deliberately confusing the public” and “engaging in conduct as if we are in some kind of a surplus rather than in a deficit.”

   Senators have discussed using $391 million in federal stimulus money for education that was supposed to be used in 2010-11 so they don’t have to make the $686 million in reductions that this governor has called for in his deficit-reduction plan. Besides being leery on education cuts the governor wants to make, they are also reluctant to make health-care reductions, he said.

   Paterson, who spoke after a holding a private conference call with state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch and other members of his administration, said he continues to have a difficult time convincing senators and Assembly members of the severity of New York’s fiscal crisis.

   “Our conclusion is that if we pass the deficit-reduction plan as we proposed it … we would still just be squeaking by December, barely able to meet our financial obligations. The comptroller pointed out that in March, there are other financial obligations to the tune of $13 billion to $14 billion, which we must pay, and we will not have presumably passed our 2010-2011 budget at that time,” Paterson said. “So we are in dire financial circumstances.”

   The governor said his administration believes that Democrats, who control the Assembly, and Republicans in that chamber understand the severity of the crisis. But Albany’s political atmosphere prevents lawmakers from being “particularly forthcoming” about where they would cut.

   Paterson said he believes Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, is “very clear about his willingness to comply with what would be a deficit-reduction plan that would keep us from having to make drastic decisions.”

   Paterson criticized the Senate, where the GOP, which is in the minority, released a plan that would not cut health care and would reduce education funding by $100 million. Senate Democrats have said they agree with Republicans on about $2.6 billion of the GOP’s deficit-reduction plan. Paterson said the Republican plan overestimates what the state could reap from boosting its Medicaid-fraud detection efforts.

   “I think it’s irresponsible. I think it’s totally out of line with where the state is,” the governor said. “The Senate Democrats I guess hesitate putting out a plan because they don’t want to be attacked for even addressing a dime of school-aid cuts.”

   Paterson described what’s happening as “basically fiddling while Rome is burning.”

   “Take note, senators. This is not a cash-flow problem. This is a cash problem,” he added soon after.

   If lawmakers don’t pass a deficit-reduction plan, the state might have to delay payments to school districts and pension plans and for property-tax relief could be delayed, Paterson said.