In what was as much a pitch for his executive budget as an actual update on New York's affairs, Gov. David Paterson's first State of the State address Wednesday revealed a few new initiatives but little in the way of how they might be accomplished.

After saying that the state faces a “perilous” fiscal crisis that requires action rather than salesmanship, he spoke largely in substance-free cliches about how New Yorkers have historically overcome great obstacles.

We were intrigued by Paterson's call to establish a research consortium to develop plug-in hybrid electric cars and the development of energy storage technologies to help support a clean energy economy.

These projects, he said, would reshape the upstate economy and include cities “in the Erie Canal corridor” by utilizing the “academic and scientific resources” between western New York and the capital region. Being left short on specifics beyond that, however, we'll have to wait and see which cities he has in mind.

Addressing the importance of education, Paterson said, “The road to economic competitiveness and renewal runs right through our schools.” He then acknowledged that spending “more effectively” was going to be required because spending more was not an option.

He spoke at length about the adverse long-term health effects associated with childhood obesity.

“The pillars of Wall Street have crumbled,” he said as part of a completely unnecessary rehash of the loss of state income tax revenue and the ever-deepening deficit.

We know the state has some serious problems.

We wish we had heard more from Paterson about how New York might go about solving some of its problems, rather than a lengthy list of the things we were already painfully aware of.