ALBANY – “The state of the State is perilous,” Governor David Paterson told a joint session of the Legislature in his first State of the State message. “We have an historic economic challenge, the gravest in nearly a century.”

The governor told lawmakers, “this is no time for fear; this is a time for action.” Paterson said the New York economy is damaged; the state has historic challenges.

“Not only is our economy damaged but our confidence is shaken. Not only is our confidence shaken but our economic obstacles seem overwhelming,” he told lawmakers. “But each time a challenge has faced New Yorkers, we have learned a way to rebuild our future, because obstacles are only the barriers that we place between ourselves and our goals. This is a moment for leadership, not partisanship.”

Paterson presented a laundry list of proposals to improve the state’s quality of life. He called for increased eligibility for Family Health Plus to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and make health insurance available under family plans for persons 19 to 29.

He unveiled his “Healthy Food/Healthy Communities Initiative to reduce obesity.

He said the state needs to reinvent its education system. He said economic development must be brought to the front burner pushing for everything from tourism to high tech and manufacturing.

Paterson said the state will participate in the 400th anniversary Henry Hudson coming up the river that now bears his name and he said he wants to return the river to the condition it was in when Hudson traveled it.

Paterson also said he wants to expand the Operation IMPACT crime fighting program. It has now been in 17 counties, but he said he wants to expand it to all major upstate cities.

The Governor said New York has the research infrastructure and manufacturing base to develop a battery to power automobiles as a means to preserve the environment.