Yesterday, Governor Paterson unveiled his proposed budget cuts — targeting schools, Medicaid, and the MTA, among other things — which are needed to close an estimated $3 billion deficit (or maybe $4.1 billion, according to the state comptroller). But the legislature — Senate Democrats, specifically — doesn't seem to be taking the budget shortfall as seriously as Paterson. Carl Kruger, the head of the Senate Finance Committee, for example, said that they were "not going to succumb to (Paterson's) hysteria nor are we necessarily going to accept his forecasting." This sounds like trouble, no? On a Buffalo radio show this morning, Paterson was asked how the budget would be worked out when the legislature seemed so uncooperative. “How will we get it done?” Paterson replied. “When legislators become responsible and grow up.” Ah, crap.

Paterson Proposes Cuts to Close Deficit [NYT]
Paterson's Budget PR Blitz [Daily Politics/NYDN]