New York’s budget deadline passed last week but a state budget did not.
With the Legislature out of session for the Easter and Passover holidays last week, there was little hope of a deal over the weekend that would close a projected $9.2 billion budget deficit.
“We cannot accept a budget that cripples the state for our next generation and I will not accept a budget that rewards special interests, allowing them not to make the same sacrifices that average New Yorkers make everyday,” Gov. David Paterson said in a video posted on YouTube.com.
“I cannot overstate the magnitude of the fiscal problems confronting this state. So I will continue to stand up for the taxpayers even if it means that our budget is late, because a responsible budget is more important than what time it is actually passed.”
Paterson has proposed a $135.28 billion all-funds budget for fiscal 2011, which began on April 1. Last week he ordered payment of $2.1 billion of aid to school districts to be postponed because the state didn’t have enough cash. The payments were scheduled for last week but are not statutorily required until June.
A $4.6 billion emergency spending measure enacted last week to keep the government running through April 11 did not include funding for many capital projects. Construction projects that use federal stimulus funding or are deemed necessary for safety were not affected.
