Week of 12/12-12/18

Gov. David Paterson proposed a $121.1 billion state budget for 2009-10 fiscal year on Tuesday.
The proposal also included a $15.4 billion deficit reduction plan to be completed in the next 16 months in order to eliminate the state's largest deficit in history. The plan includes cutting $698 million in school aid, increasing luxury sales tax and cutting more than 3,000 state jobs mostly through attrition. The 2009-10 state budget calls for 521 layoffs alone.
"For years, record revenues from Wall Street allowed State spending to increase at an unsustainable rate," Gov. Paterson said in a prepared statement. "With the financial services industry in the midst of an unprecedented crisis, we must fundamentally reevaluate what our State can afford to spend. Change is unavoidable, and the proposals I have put forward today begin the difficult process of adapting to a new fiscal reality. Just like thousands of families across New York, our State government needs to tighten its belt and limit spending to what we can afford."
Paterson released the budget a month earlier than he had to because he wanted to get a head start on the fiscal crisis. A budget will have to be passed through the state's legislature by April 1, although the governor hopes to have it passed by early March to avoid losing an additional $1.8 million dollars that would be lost if cuts were not enacted by that time.
"As we look to our future, we're going to have to recognize that we're going to have to continue on with some of the cuts we have described. We're going to have to take a real look at a way in which we can streamline our government as effectively as we can, " Paterson said in his statement.

SPAC to break even in '08
For the fourth consecutive year the Saratoga Performing Arts Center is expected to operationally break even, SPAC officials announced Friday, Dec. 12.
Although the news is positive during these tough economic times, park officials also announced the state's current fiscal crisis may postpone a $2.5 million renovation to the center's amphitheatre due to a current freeze on funds given by the state. The project has two phases remaining that include a new façade, sound system, lighting and bathrooms.
On a more positive note, officials announced that ticket and membership prices would remain the same as last year.
"We will also be offering ticket packages, specially-priced performances and promotions like 'Free Children on the Lawn' to further add to the value of the SPAC experience," SPAC President Marcia White said in a press release.
SPAC is also currently preparing an $8 million 2009-10 budget that will institute a freeze on staff salaries and operational costs next year. The decision to cut the New York City Ballet's season from three weeks to two weeks next year will also cause SPAC's program spending to go down by more than $370,000.
SPAC officials also announced early dates for the 2009 season. They include the Freihofer's Jazz Festival, June 27 and 28; the New York City Ballet, July 7 - 18; The Philadelphia Orchestra, Aug. 5 - 22; the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, Aug. 4 - 23 and the extended season which will run from May 23 - June 11.

Man who disrupted high school graduation steals truck
The Saratoga Springs graduate who strolled across the Saratoga Performing Arts Center stage during the city's high school graduation ceremony in a penis custume last summer was arrested for allegedly stealing a pick-up truck Tuesday.
Calvin Morett, 19, of 337 Pyramid Pines Estate, faces third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a class-D felony.
He is currently being held in Saratoga County Court in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.
Morret pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for disrupting the city's high school graduation last June. He was ordered by the court to write apology letters to the school district and community.

Skidmore students involved in drug ring sentenced
The Skidmore College students who were arrested last May for taking part in a drug ring were recently sentenced.
Nine people were arrested by the Saratoga Springs Police Department in connection with selling cocaine, LSD and marijuana after they sold the drugs to undercover informants.
The drug ring produced the seizure of 20 pounds of marijuana, one ounce of cocaine and $50,000 in cash.
Seven of the nine arrested have since been sentenced in Saratoga County Court or Saratoga Springs City Court.
Nathaniel Prinzi, 22, was sentenced to two years in state prison and two years of probation for one count of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance on Dec. 8.
Peter Lesser, 19, and Scott Cantor, 20 were sentenced to six months in jail and five months probation for attempting to steal a package containing marijuana from the school's mail room.
Matthew Heckman, 21, was fined $245 for selling marijuana.
Julian Rodier, 22, was sentenced to six months in jail and five months probation for the attempted sale of a controlled substance.
Jonah Haviland-Markowitz, 21, was sentenced to two days in jail and 200 hours of community service for the sale of marijuana in July.
Richard Brautigam, 22, received a conditional discharge for criminal possession of marijuana for one year of community service.
Esu McFadden, 20 and Samuel Miner, 21, are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.

Camp McGregor scheduled to close
The announcement of the state budget Tuesday could potentially mean that Camp McGregor prison in Wilton might be closed if the current budget is passed.
The recently released state budget suggests closing Camp McGregor along with three other state prison camps by June of next year. The move would save an estimated $30 million on the current budget crisis.
The minimum security prison camp is currently under 50 percent full with only 70 inmates currently being held at the 300-bed prison camp.
The three other minimum security camps include Camp Pharsalia in Chenango County, Camp Gabriels in Franklin County and Camp Georgetown in Madison County.

AMD funding transfer approved
 Approval for $650 million incentive package originally intended for Advanced Micro Devices was shifted to the company's new spin-off corporation on Wednesday.
The decision was unanimously approved by the state's Public Authority Control Board after a meeting at the state Capitol in Albany. The plan will now allow AMD's spin-off AMD Fab Technologies U.S. to use the incentive package to build the $4.6 billion dollar computer chip plant at the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.
The cash is a down payment on the $1.2 billion incentive package the state offered AMD to build the computer chip plant.
The funds were originally approved in 2006, but it had to be changed after AMD turned over operation to a new corporation.