SYRACUSE -- The state budget crisis takes center stage locally Friday with the Assembly Ways and Means Committee holding a public hearing in Syracuse. We're facing an estimated $3 billion budget deficit that could balloon if lawmakers don't make tough choices now.

There were passionate pleas Friday from dozens of groups, fighting to save their programs from the chopping block. It comes at a time when the Governor is trying to fill a huge budget gap and he's calling on everyone to sacrifice. "Our tax base has been decimated," Governor David Paterson said earlier this week. "We have revenues that continue to plunder. We must take immediate and swift action."

But it isn't happening without a fight. That was evident by the large crowd that gathered Friday at the hearing. Representatives from a variety of programs came to tell lawmakers why their program should be spared. The Governor is calling on lawmakers to trim the deficit by $5 billion over two years, including cuts to cities, less money for hospitals and nursing homes and a 4.5% cut in school aid.

That's not sitting well with Syracuse City Schools. "Class sizes would increase by 10%, resulting in some classes with more than 40 students," said Suzanne Slack, Chief Financial Officer for the Syracuse City School District. "We cannot eliminate 150 educators in the midst of a school year without it having a significant negative impact."

Slack says the mid-year funding cuts will be devastating for students, that achievement and graduation rates will likely suffer. And, she says, wealthier districts should bear more of the burden of these cuts. "This funding reduction needs to be borne by wealthier districts that can leverage tax and community dollars that simply do not exist in urban districts," Slack said.

SUNY Upstate Medical University is worried too. 11% of its budget is funded by the state. "The first impact will be we are not going to be able to meet our expectations nor our promise to grow our number of enrolled physicians or our medical school enrollment over the next couple of years," said Dr. David Smith, President of Upstate Medical University. "We will not be increasing our number of nurses graduating from SUNY Upstate Medical University."

Syracuse city leaders were also speaking out, saying the Governor's proposed cuts could force them to take drastic measures, potentially increase property taxes, reduce services or lay off city workers. "These state funds have become the single most significant source of resources to pay for teachers, police offices, firefighters, public works crews and other basic public services here in Syracuse," said Ken Mokrzycki, Director of Administration.

Bottom line, there is plenty of concern, frustration and anxiety, with dozens of groups rallying to save their programs. Everyone realizes there will be cuts. The question now is where, and how deep.