State plans modest spending cuts in upstate programs
ALBANY — The administration of Gov. David A. Paterson has announced a new round of state agency cuts that include modest reductions in spending on creating jobs upstate and less money for a cybersecurity program to protect the state’s massive computer operations.
The reductions are intended to further Paterson’s effort to shave $800 million from the budget, in part by requiring state agencies to cut spending by 3.35 percent from the current fiscal year. Tuesday’s announcement covered an additional 16 agency reduction efforts.
The documents show a wide array of measures. In the Economic Development Department, plans call for finding savings over the next two years in several programs, including the Western New York Marketing Initiative and the Upstate Business Marketing Program. This year, the upstate marketing program will shave $100,000 from its $3.5 million budget.
The plan also calls for delaying the opening of new trade offices in South Korea and India.
The agency reports offer mostly bland and non-descriptive information about the cutbacks, other than to say that travel and staff hiring will be reduced.
Clearly, however, not all agencies are happy. The Office of Homeland Security offered a sobering assessment of spending reductions for its Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination, whose functions include protecting the state’s computer systems from cyberattacks.
While the agency said it believes it can perform its duties despites the cuts, it added that the lower funding places an “added strain on an organization that already operates within a constrained environment.”
More funding cuts next year could “severely degrade our agency’s ability to meet its key priorities, thus significantly increasing cyberrisk — most directly to New York State departments and agencies.” Other programs being slowed down, the agency said, include improving local emergency planning efforts.
At the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, officials warned that unforeseen events could bring cuts in hours in state parks.
