The poll, conducted by the Siena College Research Institute, surveyed 806 New York residents and asked them about their views on the state's budget priorities. When asked whether they would prefer to maintain current levels of services or make cuts, 57% of respondents chose the former, while 42% favoured cuts.
The results also highlighted differences based on party affiliation and region. Democrats were more likely to prioritise maintaining services (69%) compared to Republicans (45%). Additionally, residents living upstate were more inclined to support cuts (51%) than those in New York City (34%).
Among specific programs, respondents were divided on whether to reduce funding for public schools, public assistance, and public health care. While 47% of New Yorkers supported cuts to public schools, 52% opposed the idea. Similarly, there was a slight majority (51%) in favour of cutting public assistance, while 48% were against it. Regarding public health care, 46% of residents favoured cuts, and 53% were opposed.
The poll's findings suggest a need for policymakers to carefully consider the public's preferences and strike a balance between maintaining essential services and the need to control spending.
Here is a breakdown of the poll results by party affiliation:
Democrats:
- Maintain services: 69%
- Make cuts: 31%
Republicans:
- Maintain services: 45%
- Make cuts: 55%
And here are the results by region:
New York City:
- Maintain services: 66%
- Make cuts: 34%
Upstate New York:
- Maintain services: 49%
- Make cuts: 51%
