Cuomo's got to sell his cuts

New Yorkers know that their state is in financial trouble. But they're against cutting Medicaid, state aid to education or the pensions of state workers.

Those are the troubling findings of a new Quinnipiac University poll. They're troubling because it's virtually impossible to close the huge deficits facing this state without reducing Medicaid and school aid, which make up more than half of state spending. And while pension promises must be kept, New York can't afford to offer such lavish benefits in the future.

People often oppose spending cuts and tax hikes in polls. And this one didn't force voters to choose the best among bad options. Still, the new poll shows that the governor will have to do a better job of educating the public about the severity of the problem if he expects voters to support his important cost-cutting agenda.

New York faces a projected budget deficit of $10 billion for the fiscal year beginning April 1 - and even bigger deficits are expected in subsequent years. The state has habitually used costly short-term fixes to balance current budgets, leaving it to subsequent lawmakers and taxpayers to pay the piper.

Doing so won't be easy. Voters not only oppose cutting the two big programs, they also oppose state tax hikes. But they're not totally unrealistic. Asked if they expect state taxes to rise, 74 percent said yes. hN