David Paterson

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Brian X. Foley with David Paterson.

A new poll from Siena College [PDF] of six key State Senate races show Democrats on the verge of ousting an incumbent on Long Island, and successfully defending a seat in Erie County, but losing in Buffalo--and possibly even in Queens.

If the results of the Siena poll hold on Election Day, Democrats will gain one State Senate seat, and have a decent chance of winning a second--and the coveted majority. But many races are tight.

Democratic challenger Brian Foley has opened up a twenty two-point lead (56-34) against incumbent Republican Caesar Trunzo [clarified]. In Siena's September poll, Trunzo led Foley 46 to 40 percent.

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Paterson.

David Paterson took a shot at Republican State Senate Leader Dean Skelos for declaring yesterday that it wasn’t his responsibility to propose possible budget cuts, which the governor had asked legislative leaders to send him by November 7.

“No legislative leader has come up with cuts yet,” Paterson said this afternoon at a luncheon in downtown Manhattan hosted by The Economist. “And one, yesterday announced that he’s not doing it, that it’s not his responsibility, that it’s the governor’s responsibility. So, he now affirmed that his responsibility is not to be part of the process, but just to critique it.”

Paterson also said that he’d make cuts to the budget, regardless of what campaign contributors and lobbyists say.

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Governor David Paterson testified before the House Ways and Means Committee this morning, urging them to pass a federal bailout package that could help states like New York now facing massive deficits.

Although he did not specify a dollar amount, Paterson reiterated his assertion that New York sends billions of dollars more in tax to the federal government than it gets back in federal aide.

“The fact is, New York, in 2006, got back $61.2 billion less than we paid in taxes to the federal government,” Paterson told the committee. In 2007, Paterson said that figure was $86.9 billion.

Paterson spoke as part of a panel that included South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, a Republican,

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David Paterson.

Governor David Paterson attended the Citizens Union annual dinner last night at the Waldorf Astoria to present his father, Basil, with an award from the good government group.

But C.U. may or may not have appreciated it when, during his his remarks praising the nonpartisan organization, Paterson, a lawyer, began constructing an argument for why there may be legal barriers to C.U.'s two most important goals at the moment: undoing the City Council's extension of term limits and pushing for nonpartisan redistricting of the state legislature.

Citizens Union strongly opposed the term-limits extension, which was championed by elected officials it general considers allies in the reform movement: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and even Brooklyn City Councilman David Yassky.