Groups Gear Up to Fight Paterson's Cuts ALBANY, NEW YORK (WXXI) - Governor Paterson is preparing to release his suggestions for $2 billion dollars worth of budget cuts Wednesday. Meanwhile, nearly every group that relies on state money is gearing up for a long fight.

Paterson is seeking the reductions from the current year's state budget, when the legislature meets in special session on November 18th. After first asking the legislature for suggestions, and receiving no response, the governor has decided to go ahead with his own plan.

Meanwhile, despite the Veteran's Day holiday, a number of groups were gearing up to fight what they believe will be a series of cuts that could diminish the services that they provide.

Unions have already rejected Paterson's idea of re-opening contracts with state workers, and Republicans, who lead the State Senate until at least the end of this year, say they won't approve mid year school aid cuts.

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, a coalition of human service groups that also are connected to a union funded organization, have planned a news conference for immediately after the governor's announcement, to offer alternatives to spending cuts. Ron Deutsch, who heads the group, says the governor needs to "get real" about alternatives to cuts.

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness believes the governor should look into spending the state's rainy day fund, and considering new taxes on the wealthy, a proposal that Paterson has so far rejected.

Leaders of the state's municipalities are also speaking out against the cuts in advance. The New York Association of Counties has written a letter to Paterson, asking the governor to spare counties, who have already seen their funding reduced twice this year, from further cuts. They offer ideas for savings, like reforming rules on special education for preschoolers and rescinding some state regulations.

The State Conference of Mayors is also asking for a break. They warn the governor and legislature not to make the same mistake as in the early 1990's, when another state budget crisis led lawmakers to cut revenue sharing funds in half. Peter Baynes, executive director of the Mayors' conference, says as a result, local property taxes went up.

The conference of Mayors has launched a website, StoptheTaxShift.org. Baynes says he and the President of the Conference of Mayors, Mayor John McDonald of Cohoes, met with Paterson recently.

"We made our case and he certainly understood our points," said Baynes. "But we also understand the main point he made, that the state is in a tough position."

Baynes says the mayors told Paterson that they still don't think it would be wise to cut the revenue sharing aid, now known as AIM funding.

"He didn't make a commitment one way or the other," said Baynes.

All of the groups, and the public, will know Wednesday what the governor intends to cut.
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