SURVEY: VOTES WANT CHANGE IN ALBANY

ALBANY — Nearly three-quarters of New Yorkers think their state government is doing only a fair or poor job dealing with issues they care about, like taxes and education, according to a new poll designed to spur discussion about issues that candidates for governor should address.

“New Yorkers are deeply disappointed with the performance of state government on issues that matter to them,” said Erika Rosenberg of the Center for Governmental Research, a Rochester-based independent think tank.

The center has hooked up with the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie to form “New York Matters,” a organization designed to encourage serious discussion of issues during this year's campaign for governor. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi are seeking the Democratic nomination. Former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso and former Massachusetts governor William Weld are running for the GOP nod. Gov. George Pataki, a Republican, is retiring at the end of the year.

“Political campaigns in New York have a history of glossing over...critical issues,” like Upstate's anemic economy, health care and education, the analysts said.

The group plans to hold forums around the state to promote serious discussion of key issues.

Their starting point was the poll, which found 72 percent of those polled have a low opinion of the job state government is doing.

“This is a very, very important election for the state of New York,” said Kent Gardner, head of the research center. “We live in a state whose future is uncertain. Our political and economic power within the United States (are) on the wane.”

New Yorkers are tired of high taxes, but also want to keep taxpayer-funded programs in place, Gardner said, citing the survey results.

Gardner said that the race for governor is off to a good start, with all of the major-party candidates talking about issues like the lack of upstate job growth.

The survey of 2,492 state residents found that 39 percent of New Yorkers wanted to see a cut in state taxes. But almost as many people - 38 percent - wanted to maintain taxpayer-funded programs.

The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

“Is New York State schizophrenic? Maybe,” Rosenberg said. “But I think the poll actually shows people want meaningful programs without busting their wallet.”

For example, while almost every region of the state rated taxes the number one concern, 58 percent of those surveyed said providing quality education was more important than keeping property taxes low.

But only 6 percent of New York City respondents said taxes were their top concern. But for voters in most other parts of the state, nearly a third said it should be a top priority of the next governor to fix.

New Yorkers pay the highest combined state and local taxes in the country.

The survey also found that keeping government free of corruption was a major concern for almost half of those polled. The relative lack of faith in government could be a reason that so few New Yorkers vote, reform advocates suggested later Thursday.

“Voters have decided to opt out of the political process,” said Aimee Allaud of the League of Women Voters, “and we can't blame them.”

She said New York is at the “bottom of barrel” in voter turnout. In 2004, 57 percent of registered voters cast ballots, ranking New York 46th in the country, Allaud said.

Part of the answer, Allaud and other advocates said, is for the state to tighten up ethics laws.

“The issue of ethics apparently has been apparently a low enough priority there hasn't been any action this session,” said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group, an Albany-based government watchdog.

Advocates are pushing for new rules that would limit how lawmakers can spend their campaign contributions, an “ethics cop” to monitor the Legislature and ethics training for lawmakers and lobbyists.

Lawmakers practically have carte blanche in spending their campaign contributions and often spend the funds on personal meals, Horner said.

Spokesmen for the Assembly and Senate has no immediate comment.