With the budget deadline looming, Governor David Paterson made a last minute appeal to New Yorkers Wednesday.

In a taped address, the governor warned that since introducing his budget proposal in January, the state’s deficit has increased by 25 percent.

“None of us, including the legislature, will benefit from a budget that appears to substitute election-year window dressing with real fiscal reform,” Paterson said.

He’s calling on New Yorkers to encourage members of the legislature to make responsible cuts to their budget proposals — by trimming spending and not increasing borrowing.

“We cannot accept a budget that cripples the state for our next generation, and I will not accept a budget that rewards special interests,” Paterson said.

The remarks come on the heels of the governor’s decision to raise the stakes of this fight by withholding $2.1 billion in school aid and suspending hundreds of state-funded construction projects, all in the name of financial responsibility.

The administration has also signaled that state workers could face widespread layoffs if they don’t agree to givebacks. He’s also called for a property tax cap — a proposal that has won support from Democrat-turned-Republican Steve Levy who’s eyeing a run for governor.

“We’ve shown in Suffolk County that caps are a good thing. They can keep spending under control. They can keep taxes under control. They are long overdue on the state level,” Levy said.

The budget is due Thursday. And since the state Legislature is on recess, its unlikely a deal will be reached on time.

(Source: http://www.ny1.com/)