Albany at worst

The charade played out in Albany Tuesday by a dysfunctional state government was a disgrace. The naysayers backed by well-funded special-interest groups won the day as Gov. David A. Paterson was forced to cancel a special session of the Legislature after it was apparent the legislative leadership wasn't going to do anything to close a $1.5 billion budget gap. And New Yorkers will pay a deeper price for their irresponsibility in the long run.

Gov. Paterson had met a steady drumbeat of opposition and predictions of dire consequences from well-funded special-interest groups and lobbyists objecting to his proposed $2 billion in midyear cuts. Legislative leaders refused to work with him. After a 90-minute gathering with the Assembly and Senate majority and minority leaders, Gov. Paterson gave in and called off the special session.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos's bankrupt leadership gave political cover to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Mr. Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, had refused to consider the governor's proposals unless the governor presented his 2009-10 budget. But then he abruptly changed his position in an attempt to embarrass the governor by promising a Senate vote certain to defeat the proposed cuts. It was political posturing rather than a serious desire to work with the governor to confront the fiscal crisis.

Speaker Silver, D-Manhattan, lashed out at Sen. Skelos for "passing the buck" to the next Legislature. However, Speaker Silver merely paid lip service to the governor's plan to bail the state out of a deficit that could reach $12.5 billion by the end of the next fiscal year.

Yet he sat back and used Senate inaction as his excuse to avoid addressing the state's fiscal crisis in the Assembly now, rather than later. So much for leadership that kowtowed to special interests.

Presumed Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, hinted at change to come in January when Democrats control the Senate. New Yorkers will have to wait and see, but by then it will be too late to enact some of Gov. Paterson's proposals, such as hiking tuition at state universities.

The delay will make it much more difficult to reduce the deficit. If lawmakers can't do the right thing now by cutting $2 billion which will ease the pressure on next year's budget, it's questionable how they will be able to make up a $15 billion gap looming for the fiscal year starting April 1 without even deeper cuts.

And yet for doing nothing but point fingers and pass the blame, lawmakers will still get their $143 per diem plus travel and lodging expenses.

It's Albany at its worst.