Politics on the Hudson

The state said today that it will save 5.5 million sheets of paper, 660 trees, and $75,000 a year by eliminating the full printed version of the governor’s 2010-11 Executive Budget books. It will be online instead.

Last January, the state printed 2,700 sets of Executive Budget documents, which included five separate books that detailed the Gov. David Paterson’s proposed budget, his office said. His office said that stacked up, the books would have been taller than the Empire State Building.

“With the state facing historic fiscal challenges, we cannot leave any stone unturned when it comes to reducing the cost of government,” Paterson said in a statement.

The state is still doing a $50 million renovation to the Capitol, though.

The budget will be available at the Division of the Budget’s website www.budget.state.ny.us.

There will still be some hard copies around. Paterson said by law he has to provide each member of the Legislature a printed copy.  There will also be some “limited-run” printed briefing books provided to the media.