According to the NY Times, the NY State Senate Democratic leaders "will seek income tax increases on at least some affluent New Yorkers and a sales tax increase of a quarter of 1 percent to help balance the state budget." An anonymous Senate official said, "The hole is too deep to dig ourselves out by cuts alone. The debate now is over where to start." The Times previously reported some of their proposed tax hikes, which would create three new tax brackets: $250,000-499,999; $500,000-999,999; and $1 million and over; there is also a separate proposal to raise taxes for households making $500,000 and more. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver supports taxing upper income levels. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, Silver and Governor Paterson will supposedly meet in private to hash out the new state budget.