Got a headache yet?

New York, or at least the Capitol, is consumed with the furlough talk, and this isn't about a break from Army duty.

This is about about half of the state work force, or 100,000 people, taking a forced day off a week starting next week without pay - effectively a 20 percent pay cut. The Legislature approved the idea earlier this week.

To hear union leaders talk about it, it will be the final blow that forces thousands of people out of their homes and prevents them from buying life-saving prescription drugs. They have gone to court to try to block the idea, which Gov. David Paterson says will save about $30 million a week.

Not often mentioned in the debate is taxpayers, who will have to come up with the $30 million somewhere else if this idea doesn't fly - taxpayers who often getting less in salaries and benefits than their public-sector bretheren. The unions say that much could be socked away by cutting down on temporary employees, but Paterson says they're needed for specific tasks the government needs to get done (plus the state doesn't pay them benefits).

So let's see. Opponents of the gov's budget plan don't want any increase in taxes, like on soda or cigarettes and certainly don't want to reduce aid to local schools or health care. And please, hands off the state work force. Yet the current outlook is for the state to spend $9.2 billion more than it will take in in revenues.

Got a headache yet? No wonder lawmakers duck out of town every chance they get and Paterson doesn't seem to be around much either.