(AP) - Gov. David Paterson is naming RichardRavitch as New York's lieutenant governor to help end the standoffin the state Senate by presiding over the chamber and breaking tievotes.

In a televised address, the Democratic governor says the stateis in crisis over the embarrassing spectacle of a Senate gridlocked31-31 in a power struggle now it its fifth week.

He also says Wednesday that the Senate and Assembly must makeserious spending cuts because revenues continue to fall and thestate faces a fiscal crisis.

Ravitch is a former chairman of the Metropolitan TransportationAuthority, respected by Democrats and Republicans. He recentlychampioned an MTA bailout plan and was chosen by then-Gov. HughCarey to help dig New York out of its 1974 fiscal crisis.