With the state budget more than a month overdue and thousands of state employees facing layoffs or furloughs, voters are starting to take notice of how the inaction in Albany is impacting the state, according to a new Marist Poll out this morning.

72% of voters said it matters to them that the budget it late. This includes 47% who say it matters a great deal and 25% who report it matters a good amount to them.

Although, the missed deadline doesn’t bother some New Yorkers at all. The poll found only 19% of voters said it doesn’t bother them too much, while 8% aren’t upset at all.  Just 1% is unsure.

The dissatisfaction also stretches across party lines. 76% of non-enrolled voters and 75% of those in the state’s GOP say it matters at least a good amount to them that the budget deadline has come and gone.  Members of the majority party are slightly less distraught than republicans, sharing this view at 67%.

As for Governor Paterson’s leadership on the budget, it’s more of the same: disapproval. More than six in ten registered voters in New York State — 64% — disapprove of his budgetary leadership.  Only 31% approve, which is a slight boost from the previous Marist Poll that showed the Governor’s approval rating on budgetary leadership was at 28%. Meanwhile, his overall job approval rating remained virtually unchanged at 19%.

“The lack of Governor Paterson’s leadership on the budget worries New York voters,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “They are unhappy with the governor’s performance and think the lateness of the budget is troublesome.”

Meanwhile, union workers plan to vent their frustrations with the late budget and its impact next week. Members of PEF and CSEA are planning to rally against wage freezes, pay lags, and lay-offs Monday all across the state.

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