Poll: NYers embarrassed by politicians' scandals

ALBANY - Two years of scandals involving governors and lawmakers has made five in 10 voters "embarrassed" to be New Yorkers, according to a new poll.

The survey released Monday by the Siena Research Institute found 54 percent of registered voters agree that the rash of scandals involving state leaders "makes me embarrassed to call myself a New Yorker." Forty-one percent said they were still proud to be identified with the state.

The past 24 months have seen the downfall of Gov. Eliot Spitzer in a prostitution scandal and successor David A. Paterson accused of interference in a domestic violence case and lies about receiving free tickets to a 2009 World Series game.

"Voters seem to be saying, 'I may be from New York, but I don't have to tell the world,' " said pollster Steven Greenberg.

Here are other highlights of the poll:

Q: State government has never been more dysfunctional than it is today?

70% Agree

21% Disagree

Q: There are no leaders who can clean up the mess in Albany?

41% Agree

45% Disagree

Q: Should Gov. David A. Paterson resign immediately or finish his term, which ends on Jan. 1, 2011?

37% Resign

55% Serve out term

Conducted Sunday among 712 registered voters. Margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points.