Thank you, Danny [Donohue], for your kind and generous introduction.

Thank you, my friends, for your warm welcome and let me say how honored I am to be introduced by my longtime friend, Danny Donohue - one the great labor leaders in this state leading one of New York's great public employee unions, the Civil Service Employees Association.

On behalf of the New York State Assembly, I am delighted to welcome the hard working women and men of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees here to the Empire State Plaza.

We in the Assembly - the People's House of the Legislature - have a long and proud record of standing up for New York's public workforce.

I believe that the men and women of AFSCME - in fact all of this state's working men and women - could not have more dedicated advocates in this state government than you have in:

• Assembly Member Peter Abbate, the Chair of our Committee on Governmental Employees;

• And in Assembly Member Susan John, the Chair of our Committee on Labor.

They are on the frontlines fighting for you every day and I am proud to represent them as Speaker.

I know that you are waiting to hear from President McEntee, so let me get right to the heart of the matter.

We have critical work to do. The State of New York is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit; one that we believe will be larger than what the Governor is projecting. So yes, undeniably, there will be spending cuts.

Working families across the state are cutting back on non-essential expenses. Government must do the same.

The Governor and the Legislature must work together to make spending cuts that are thoughtful and responsible.

Here is what I mean. Last year, we denied the Governor's proposed cuts in SSI grants, in TAP awards, and in the school breakfast and lunch program. Why? Because these cuts saved the state little, but would have devastated the families who rely on these programs.

When we cut, we need to do so with a scalpel not with an axe, and we will make sure that the sacrifices called for in the budget are "shared sacrifices"- shared by all New Yorkers.

We also know that there is a great deal of anger and frustration here in New York and throughout the nation. People are fed up with "talk."

Right now, New Yorkers are looking to government for leadership. They're looking to us for some sense of hope that better days are on the horizon.

We cannot give them government so embroiled in "politicking" that it has become oblivious to the fear and to the hardship of the citizens it is supposed to be serving. So, I am calling upon the leadership of this state to work together in crafting a state budget that is balanced and timely, thoughtful and responsible.

Let me assure you that I and my colleagues in the Assembly Majority also know that we must address your concerns and demonstrate to you that the State of New York appreciates our public employees and recognizes that you are the heart and soul, the muscle and the "know-how" of our government.

That means not padding the state payroll with temporary workers when there is supposed to be a hiring freeze. That means ending the state's reliance on high-priced, private consultants.

Last year, the Assembly passed legislation to reform the state's use of information technology consultants and to give public employees the IT training they should have been receiving all along.

We need to be taking more of these kinds of actions.

The challenge of governing during a historic financial crisis is as clear as it is extraordinary. It is a time that calls for partnership. It is a time that demands unity of purpose and unity of action.

It is a challenge that we must address together and I hope that you will continue to stand with us as we fight for all of this state's working families.

Thank you, for being here and please, make the most of your day in Albany. I look forward to meeting with your leaders later this afternoon.