Gov. Patrick Doesn't Mince Words on State Cuts

One thousand state jobs and more than $1 billion in state spending will be slashed under sweeping state budget cuts unveiled by Gov. Deval Patrick late Wednesday.

WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti reports.

CHAKRABARTI: Governor Patrick did not mince words.

PATRICK: People will feel these cuts in certain services.

CHAKRABARTI: Some services more than others. Budgets for higher education would shrink by 5 percent, environment by 7 percent. The state will also reduce its own payroll by 1,000 jobs.

But Patrick says he tried to preserve most social services.

PATRICK: I understand that behind the numbers is a person's first, sometimes only chance at a better life.

CHAKRABARTI: The cuts would apply only to the current budget, but the Governor said collapsed financial markets mean he's not ruling out future cuts.

That's because state revenues aren't expected to grow until the second half of 2009, at the earliest.