_ $1.6 billion in cuts and temporary cash transfers from agencies to the general fund, already ordered Sunday by Paterson. The cuts include 11 percent cuts to most state agencies, which are supposed to avoid layoffs.

_ $391 million in federal stimulus funds for education that was supposed to be used in the 2010-11 fiscal year.

_ $250 million projected to be collected under a new tax amnesty program.

_ More than $600 million in cuts to several programs, including health care, that don’t eliminate jobs.

The plan includes several tentative revenue raisers, including $200 million anticipated in up-front payments for the vendor yet to be chosen to build and operate video slot machines at the Aqueduct race track and $200 million from the Battery Park City Authority, something that requires approval from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

All in all this is the usual budgetary wizay. There is also a projected new tier for public employee pensions, at the cost of a protection for ever of the teachers’ current pensions at the expense and burden of the collectivity and its children for generations. No doubt another priority for the fearless leader Suzy O. Chair of the Senate Education Committee, but one who will presumably be PR’s in other circles, such as the all-important New York State Rural Schools Association (”RSA”) and even more important circles of teachers’ union supporters of her leadership in difficult times.

It’s so simple, even a child could do it

Lauren, as much as the Gazette would like to have the resources to reliably provide independent reporting on activities of our representatives and their legislative bodies in White Plains, Albany and Washington D.C., reality is that we don’t.

Publishing PR directly from our representatives, and clearly labeling the postings as such, fills a news gap. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than leaving our readers with no information on what our representatives are doing or thinking.

Anyone interested in government reporting for the Gazette?

Let’s get real: smoke and mirrors, fluff, spin, massaging, any way you say it, it’s all PR to me

-YOE!

Dear Ms. Oppenheimer -

Your PR piece leaves out a lot of information. Would it be possible to actually mention where you did make the cuts? If the cuts were “fiscally prudent spending cuts and costs savings” as you say above then why haven’t you made them before? And could you please address the following quote from The New York Times on December 2? “The Senate has been widely criticized for championing a deficit plan that largely avoided spending cuts, favoring a host of one-time steps. “  On another note directed to the Gazette , why are you letting all of this PR fluff into your newspaper? Thank you.