Governor David Paterson is calling on the legislature to present proposals by Wednesday for cutting $2.5 billion from the state budget. The request comes two days after Paterson ordered executive branch agencies to trim spending by $500 million. The Governor says he's done all he can, but some are questioning that, saying Paterson's perilously low poll numbers are playing a part in all of this. Capital Tonight's Erin Billups has more on the politics behind the Governor's challenge to lawmakers.

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The Governor, on Thursday, stressing once again, that tough decisions must be made to close the state growing budget gap.

"Is there going to be a sacrifice? Yes. Have we distributed the sacrifice through every echelon of society? Yes we have, we're in a recession," Paterson said.

And while leaders agree there is a deficit, the consensus ends there. In a memo to the fiscal committees of each legislative conference, Budget Director Bob Megna indicates all have agreed the budget deficit is at least $3 billion and "possibly larger." But Assembly Democrats say they haven't agreed.

"We don't know yet and we're not going to accept the figures that are presented to us until the Ways and Means of the Assembly has a chance to analyze, dissect," said Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, in a memo to his members, said "I responded that we agreed that the deficit would be greater than $2.1 billion..."

Senate Democrats are on the same page as the Assembly. A spokesman saying they haven't received data from the Governor's office that indicates otherwise.

"Details to date have been minimal I would say," Canestrari said.

Megna also writes that the Governor wants each legislative conference to submit their plans, totaling $2.5 billion worth of cuts, by next Wednesday.

During last month's leaders meeting, the Governor said he wouldn't put his plan out, saying instead, he'd like to work together with legislative leaders.

"I put my proposals out last year and I got blistered by everybody," Paterson said on September 23rd.

But critics say the governor is shifting the pressure to the legislature so that he won't get the bad press and even lower poll numbers. But lawmakers say that's just not the way it works.

"I think it's premature. I believe the plan should come from the Governor, the chief executive of the state, as it's always been," Canestrari said.

Sources from both the Assembly and the Senate say the timeline from the governor's office was a surprise and against the spirit of previous discussions.

In Silver's memo to his members, he said, "the Governor has indicated to me that he will soon propose a Deficit Reduction Package."

The Speaker says once they receive the governor's plan, then they will begin public hearings and work on a response.

"I think the ball is in the Governor's court," said Canestrari.

Senate Democrats say they are also waiting for the Governor to present an accurate economic forecast. So, it looks unlikely the Governor will get their plans by his October 14th deadline.