Politics on the Hudson

Gov. David Paterson sought to clarify this morning his position on whether he will support a $2.8 billion deficit-reduction package agreed to by state lawmakers.

Essentially, he said he would sign it into law if the Legislature passes it, but he won’t introduce their proposal—saying it falls short of the spending cuts needed to keep the state solvent.

“I would not describe it as a deal,” Paterson told reporters at the Capitol. “Because a deal means that all parties accept the agreement. This proposal for $2.8 billion in deficit reduction includes $1.6 billion I’m reducing myself and $400 million, which is actually stimulus money that we’re supposed to use next year but we’re going to use this year.”

Paterson said he will work with lawmakers to either help them draft their own budget language—to avoid a three-day bill aging process—or submit his own package of legislation that they can vote up or down on.

“I will accept it, and I will help them in anyway to set up the legislation so it can be passed and signed,” he said. “The one thing I’m not going to do is submit the bill myself for less than what I proposed because I just don’t think that it improves the culture around here of always addressing problems by 50 and 60 percent.”

So where does that leave the budget negotiations?

Lawmakers were expected to get some direction from Paterson to start passing bill later today. Lawmakers were under the impression last night that Paterson was set to send up their proposal last night so it could be voted on as early as noon today.

Now they are waiting, and not in session.

Paterson, while recognizing that normally a deal between the Legislature and the governor would mean the governor would send up a bill to be approved, said he didn’t make that promise to lawmakers.

He said “I didn’t discuss with anyone sending any bill anywhere. The normal way it’s done is that the governor does send the bill. That’s the normal way it’s done.”

He continued that, “It’s not going to be done this time because I don’t think that it is right for me, who doesn’t accept the final offer in the first place, to have to now undercut my own desire to reduce the state’s deficit by submitting a bill for less than what I actually need.”

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