2008_11_dpat1.jpgWith a state deficit that could reach 15 billion by the end of next year, what's another $20,000 spent on a fancy carpet for the state house? That's how much was shelled out by Governor Paterson for the antique Turkish rug purchased from Spitzer/Paterson campaign donors Stark Carpet located on 3rd Avenue here in Manhattan. With the governor's almost singular issue over the last few months being the state's budget crisis, the purchase has naturally raised some eyebrows. But Brad Maione, a spokesman for the Office of General Services defended it saying, "(The governor's mansion) serves as a public space that in many ways is a museum open to thousands of visitors and school children each year." The Times-Union notes however that unless there's a public event, most days it remains closed to the public.