I don’t know how much money it will save, but New York Gov. David Paterson’s proposed $2.6 billion in spending cuts will provide endless amusement as special interest types and elected officials attempt to feign fiscal concern while avoiding the budget ax themselves.

It will be a difficult balancing act — particularly for state lawmakers, all of whom will ask voters to return them to office this November.

Paterson has laid out $1 billion in what he calls “budget savings” for the current fiscal year; another $1.6 billion for 2009-10. He has called legislators back into session this week and asked them to sign off on at least $600 million of his $1 billion in cuts. The goal is to reduce next year’s estimated $6.4 billion deficit. (That’s right, “reduce,” not “eliminate.” The measures would diminish the deficit an estimated 40 percent, to about $3.7 billion.)

Almost everyone agrees the cuts are needed. And, believe it not, everyone agrees where: “Elsewhere.”

PATERSON’S PROPOSAL: Cut some $505 million in Medicaid funding, including $169.4 million from nursing homes and $99.4 million from hospitals.

RESPONSES: The Greater New York Hospital Association and the Service Employees International Union, which represents health care workers, described the cuts as “staggering” and warned they “would devastate New York’s health care infrastructure and severely threaten access to care,” according to The Associated Press.

“In just a few short weeks we have gone from suggestions of shared sacrifice to making hospitals and nursing homes into sacrificial lambs,” added William Van Slyke, vice president of the Healthcare Association of New York State.

The Home Care Association of New York accused Paterson of trying to balance the budget “on the backs of seniors and disabled New Yorkers.”

An even better quote from an Albany Times-Union story, from Kenneth E. Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association: “Half of the money comes out of health care. What happens to education?”

It’s in there, Mr. Raske …

PATERSON’S PROPOSAL: Cut $51 million from the City University of New York.

RESPONSE: The New York State United Teachers union said the cut is “inconceivable” and would devastate higher education.

PATERSON’S PROPOSAL: Reduce local assistance spending — that is, money sent to individual municipalities — by $250 million.

RESPONSE: “We support proactive budget-balancing by the state, but not at the expense of municipal property taxpayers,” said Peter Baynes, executive director of the New York State Conference of Mayors. He said the plan “would force municipal property taxes even higher.”

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