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Some plain talk on cash crisis  

Paterson, a former Senate Democratic leader, and Sampson clashed in public for the second time in just over a month. The Senate leader suggested that refinancing tobacco bonds could generate $500 million (that move, however, would add to long-term costs). Tobacco bonds are payments the state makes in return for up-front cash it received from federal tobacco lawsuit settlements.

Paterson called the idea a "non-starter" and, after the meeting, said the notion represented "phony revenues."

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