Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s criticism of some aspects of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal shows he just wants to “keep the status quo.”

That’s according to the governor himself, who told reporters in Syracuse today that Albany politicians in general are resistant to any meaningful reform.

“Make no mistake. The politicians in Albany do not want to do what I am recommending. The politicians in Albany want to keep the status quo. The politicians in Albany all too often respond to the special interests. And we are talking about a lot of money. I am there for the people. I am not going to raise taxes. I am going to bring more efficiency to the state. I believe the taxpayers deserve and demand to get a bigger bang for their buck. The Albany answer of more money, more money is wrong. And that is a challenge. And there are a lot of powerful forces in Albany that are resisting change,” Cuomo said.

YNN’s Bill Carey followed up by asking if that included the comptroller, specifically.

Cuomo responded:

“There are a lot of forces in Albany that are fighting to protect the status quo. I am trying to reform the education system to make sure it works better for our students. Not the special interests. I am trying to reform the pension system to be more respectful of the taxpayer because the pension system can bankrupt this state. And there is a lot of opposition from the special interests that designed the system.”

Here’s the exchange:

Cuomo has never been in the Tom DiNapoli Fan Club, declined to endorse him in 2010 against Republican Harry Wilson. DiNapoli, a former assemblyman selected by his colleagues to replace the disgraced Alan Hevesi, squeezed out a victory in the race anyway, mostly thanks to large union turnout in New York City.

DiNapoli has been critical of 401(k) style pension plans, a major component of the governor’s proposed Tier VI for new public workers. The defined contribution plan would be optional.

Escalating the tension on Tuesday, DiNapoli issued a report that was critical of the pension proposal that was baked into the budget and questioned Cuomo’s desire for more control over how money is moved between agencies, warning it could lead to an erosion of oversight.

The document was quickly met with a retort from Budget Division Director Bob Megna, who said the governor was taking steps to save money in dire economic times, using the “status quo” line that Cuomo deployed today.

The full question and answer session is after the jump.

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