Mayor Michael Bloomberg is headed to Albany to discuss just how hard the city will be hit by the governor’s budget proposal.

The mayor is scheduled to testify before state legislators today.

Bloomberg says Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $133 billion state budget proposal is unfairly harsh toward the city. In his weekly radio address on Friday, the mayor applauded the governor’s efforts to reduce spending – but says he wants Cuomo to restore $600 million in proposed cuts to city schools.

“We knew this year’s budget would include cuts, and we are prepared to share in the pain. But we shouldn’t have to absorb more of the pain than the state’s other residents – especially since the city provides the bulk of the state’s revenue,” said Bloomberg. “Yet the governor’s budget cuts aid to other localities by twp percent, while New York City’s funding was cut by 100 percent. That will take away $300 million we could use to avoid some of the layoffs we are facing.”

The mayor warns the cuts could force the city to lay off thousands of teachers.

Cuomo’s budget also includes a billion-dollar cut to Medicaid and calls for slashing as many as 9,800 state jobs.

(Source: NY1)