No action

There is a reason that Gov. David A. Paterson's public approval ratings are rising — from 27 percent in October to 33 percent now in a recent Siena College poll.

New Yorkers correctly perceive that their governor is trying to deal with the state's economic crisis in a direct and responsible manner.

He is doing so in the face of opposition, denial and disorder from the New York State Legislature.

Gov. Paterson has sounded the alarm for weeks about a $3.2 billion budget deficit that needs to be closed. He has warned that failure to grapple with the deficit now could lead to a $9 billion deficit at the beginning of the next fiscal year in April.

But trouble will come earlier than that. Next month, the state will be unable to pay its bills if the deficit is not tamed first. If that happens, New York's credit rating would suffer and the hole the state has dug would deepen.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli concurs with the governor's message. He, too, has warned that New York will find itself out of cash "if we stay on the current path."

How have the legislators responded?

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn, rejects Gov. Paterson's argument, contending that the state "absolutely" won't run out of cash, as the governor suggests will happen without deficit reduction. Others, such as Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, D-Bronx, agree that the state's pockets are deeper than the governor and comptroller imagine.

Sen. Kruger and others suggest collecting cigarette taxes on Indian territory, something governor after governor has resisted doing. That would provide an immediate $135 million, the lawmakers contend.

A license plate replacement plan approved by the Legislature would have provided $129 million, but popular opposition to that caused the legislators to reconsider.

Gov. Paterson has said that $700 million in midyear school aid cuts are necessary as part of deficit reduction. Senate Republicans and Democrats have stood foursquare against that.

Nor will they accept the governor's proposed cuts in health care.

What will they accept? Inaction is unacceptable.

No one wants to trim anything from the state budget. But a day of reckoning grows ever nearer.

Gov. Paterson has said: "It's about saving our house." Speaking about aid to education and health care last week, he observed: "Ideologically, my deficit reduction plan goes against everything I have fought for for 20 years. The one thing I'm trying to do is save the state."

Let's hope some legislators are listening and willing to do what is right for New York — ultimately. As of Tuesday afternoon, no action was expected.