Governor Paterson explains state budget at law school

New York Gov. David Paterson spoke about the economy and the current fiscal crisis last night at a PBS-sponsored town hall meeting at the NYU School of Law. Citizens from across the state were invited to voice their questions and concerns to the governor.

According to Paterson, there is no easy way out of the recession.

"If New York State doesn't rectify this debt within the next month and a half, we're going to have very serious problems down the road," he said.

Recently, Paterson strongly pushed for budget cuts despite his low popularity rating. He said he does not plan to raise taxes.

"The deficit must be closed because in December, New York has to make a number of payments," he said. "I'm not going to let New York State default on my watch."

In addition to a $5.2 billion cut in the state budget, Paterson has proposed a spending cap, which would cut a $44 billion out-year gap — a future budget gap that does not impact the current fiscal year — to a little under $10 billion. Paterson ultimately wants to reduce the out-year deficit by 82 percent.

Those who attended were concerned about what the budget cuts mean for essential services ranging from education to health care.

In response to NYU law student Adrian Rose's question concerning a state health insurance plan, Paterson said he has been pushing for such a plan.

Paterson said essential services such as housing, transportation and education will all face cuts. But without these cuts, he said, the ramifications would be much worse.

Additionally, Paterson reassured attendees that he was doing everything to help the state of New York.

"We are going to fight for the citizens of this state to receive the quality of life that we deserve," Paterson said. "The sooner we address this problem the stronger and faster we will recover from it."

Clarissa Wei is a staff writer.