Paterson Will Go Through With Furloughs

By Karen DeWitt

Albany, New York – Governor Paterson, who seemed to be wavering a bit in recent days on whether he really wanted to go through with a potential confrontation with the legislature, now says he will include one day a week furloughs for state workers in the next temporary spending measure.

"I have decided that I will include the furloughs in next week's emergency appropriations," Paterson said.

If lawmakers do not pass the emergency spending authorization containing the furloughs, then government would shut down on Monday. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was non-committal about what the Assembly might do.

"When we see it, we'll deal with it," said Silver.

The Speaker says it's the governor's job to manage the state workforce, and negotiate with the unions.

"I do agree that we have to have some savings from the state workforce," said Silver. "I think the governor should be sitting and negotiating those savings."

Paterson says he's tried to wring concessions out of the unions to meet his goal of $250 million dollars in savings, but says union leaders have been uncooperative.

"They have given us nothing," Paterson said. "You can't say nuts' to everything."

Paterson is referring to CSEA President Danny Donohue's initial one word response to the furlough proposal. Donohue issued a 46 word response this time, saying, in part, that Paterson is "creating more chaos and crisis in leadership", and that the union is "prepared to respond to the governor's actions".

Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson predicted that his house would approve the emergency spending measures with the one day a week furloughs, even though he says he believes the governor's plan is "illegal".

"I'm not going to shut government down, at all", said Sampson. "That is the bottom line."

Speaker Silver says there's always a chance that there could be a state budget in place before the next emergency extenders are due on May 10th. The budget is over a month late. Silver, who is said to be annoyed by the Senate's passage of a charter school expansion bill without consulting the Assembly, took a shot at Senate Democrats, blaming them for the stalemate.

"Every day you get a different signal from the other house as to what's important to them and what's not important to them," Silver said.

Senate Leader Sampson had a different take on budget talks, saying staffs are working, and that they are "making progress".