FOR RELEASE:

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Statement on Governor Paterson's
Proposed 2009-10 State Budget

“No one said this would be easy. When you’re dealing with a $15 billion budget gap, there’s obviously going to be a lot of pain.”

“It appears the Governor has kept the gimmicks and one-shots to a minimum. The budget does not excessively rely on debt to balance the budget.”

“We have to live within the parameters of what the state can afford. If there are alternative proposals to put something back into the budget, then something else has to come out.”

“New York’s fiscal troubles didn’t start when Wall Street collapsed. The state’s financial weakness has been developing for years. Wall Street was the explosion, but the fuse was lit years before. We should use this crisis as an opportunity to fix what’s been broken for so long.”

###