NY governor says layoffs needed, but up to successor

[The Northerner]

(Reuters) - New York state might have to lay off thousands of state workers to help close a $9.2 billion budget deficit, but the next governor should make that decision, Governor David Paterson said on Tuesday.

Paterson, who is not running for election in November, had promised unionized public workers that there would be no layoffs this year after they agreed to lower pension benefits for new hires to save $38 billion over 35 years.

"This is a last resort," Paterson told reporters at a news conference. "It takes a long period of time to schedule layoffs so I want this ready to go on January 1, so that the next governor has this option should the next governor choose to use it," the governor said.

On Friday, a U.S. court blocked the Democratic governor from furloughing 100,000 public employees for one day, a move designed to save $30 million.

Public workers have balked at the $250 million of savings included in Paterson's $135 billion budget plan. The legislature has failed to enact his budget more than two months past the deadline.

Both Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and Rick Lazio, a former congressman seeking the Republican nomination for governor, have said the state work force must be trimmed.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6505XB20100601?type=domesticNews