WASHINGTON — The governors of Illinois, Pennsylvania and six other states will meet at the White House today to discuss high-speed rail with Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

But New York Gov. David E. Paterson won’t be there.

Faced with the choice of attending a discussion on the economic stimulus bill with Biden in New York on Tuesday or the White House event today— and unable to miss two consecutive days in Albany — Paterson opted for the New York event.

A source close to Paterson indicated Biden wanted the governor at the New York event, which featured businessmen from around the country touting the benefits of President Obama’s stimulus legislation.

But there’s also some grousing about the governor’s decision.

That’s because he shared face time with folks at the New York event — such as the head of Crystal Window& Door Systems Ltd. of Flushing and the owner of Jamiel’s Shoe World of Rhode Island—rather than with governors who are hungry for the coming $13 billion in federal high-speed rail money.

“I’m disappointed,” said Assemblyman Sam Hoyt of Buffalo, a longtime high-speed rail advocate. “Having the governor himself at the table is a very important statement, even if it is only symbolic.”

Neither the White House Media Affairs Office nor Biden’s office returned requests for comment on the matter.

The governor is sending Timothy Gilchrist, deputy secretary for economic development and infrastructure and the head of Paterson’s stimulus effort, to the high-speed rail meeting.

In addition, the governor discussed the high-speed rail issue with Biden at a political event Monday night in New York, said Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Paterson.

Paterson could not attend the White House event “because the end of our legislative session is near, and he has a five-way public leaders meeting [today] in Albany,” she said.

Federal lawmakers refrained from criticizing Paterson’s decision to miss the White House event. And Bruce Becker, president of the Empire State Passenger Association, said he was unconcerned.

“We do know the governor is very supportive of high-speed rail,” said Becker, who noted that Paterson may have had a better opportunity to discuss the issue with Biden privately in New York than he would have had at the White House.

But Hoyt raised his concerns about Paterson’s missing the meeting with the state’s acting transportation commissioner in a meeting of the Assembly Transportation Committee.

“I’m just very, very concerned this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity . . . is not going to be a priority,” Hoyt told acting Transportation Commissioner Stanley Gee.

Gee insisted the Paterson administration is fully engaged on the high-speed rail issue.

“This is a transformational opportunity for New York State to link our upstate communities together” and provide new economic development opportunities, Gee told the committee.