The Cuomo administration has laid out its plans for a new budget. Plans that are expected to run into potential roadblocks when it comes to winning legislative approval. YNN's Bill Carey says the Governor and Lieutenant Governor have hit the road hoping to go over the heads of lawmakers to the people.

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The settings were similar, as was the message as the state's two top officials took their budget battle to the people.

"I need you to be part of this debate. I need you to weigh in. I need you to make your voice heard," said Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo took his charts and statistics south to Westchester County. His lieutenant governor headed west to Syracuse.

"We are never going to see New York change unless we, collectively, get together and are willing to do what is necessary," said Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy.

The message from the governor, downstate, and the Lieutenant Governor, here in Syracuse, were very much the same. Aimed at the voting public. Telling them that rather than think of budget cutting as "pain," they should be looking at it as an "opportunity." An opportunity that Cuomo and Duffy say the state cannot afford to let slip through its hands. An opportunity to finally end a cycle of higher taxes forcing more jobs and people out of New York.

It's an argument they say individual New Yorkers get.

"They've had this conversation at every kitchen table for the past three years. Only government thinks that it's going to continue to spend money, 13 percent a year. Only politicians think they can afford those increases," Cuomo said.

"It's the people in the state who are going to declare a change, not the elected officials. And I can't imagine anybody in the state who says, I'll pay higher taxes. Raise my taxes but keep these inflated increases going and we'll be fine. It's not going to happen," Duffy said.

The battle ahead will be a difficult one. Cuomo says lobbyists are already at work trying to block change. Duffy says special interests cannot be allowed to win the argument.

"If we fail to act now, fail to have the courage now, we're going to be in this same situation year after year," Duffy said.

"You'll only defeat the lobbyists when the politicians know that the people demand change," said Cuomo.

So the campaign will go on. More trips across the state are planned by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, hoping to fuel a citizen movement.

The governor is due to take his budget campaign to Buffalo on Friday. Lieutenant Governor Duffy goes to Rochester.