ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson, buoyed by a poll that shows three in four New Yorkers support his property tax cap proposal that's getting no debate in Albany, tried to turn up the pressure on the Legislature Tuesday in the session's waning days.

Paterson said he refuses to drop the issue that the state's powerful teachers union and other lobbyists declared dead before arrival in April. Paterson's insistence, forcing Democratic and Republican lawmakers to choose between their labor benefactors and their voters this election year, is adding to a rising tension in Albany where the last day of the 2008 session is scheduled for Monday.

A Kingston Daily Freeman editorial Tuesday criticized the Legislature for being unwilling to take up the tax cap proposal in the face of Albany's powerful special interests. “Taxpayers may be squealing in outrage and pain about property taxes, but it's only the pay-to-play crowd that gets heard,” stated the editorial headlined “Mockery of Democracy.”

Paterson said New Yorkers are “voting with their feet,” leaving for lower taxes and greater job opportunities in other states. “We're losing our human capital,” he said.

On Tuesday, he had taxpayers backing him up.

“We don't want to keep losing all our friends and neighbors and sons and daughters,” said Andrea Vecchio of the East Islip Taxpayers group. “Enough is enough.”

She was among anti-tax representatives and chamber of commerce members from Rochester, Binghamton, Rockland, Glens Falls and Poughkeepsie who supported Paterson, a Harlem Democrat. They wore T-shirts and caps with “74” emblazoned on them, referring to the 74 percent of New Yorkers supporting the 4-percent cap on the growth in property taxes, according to Monday's Siena College poll.

“74 percent,” said Democratic Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi who ran Paterson's tax relief commission. “That's better than any coalition.”

“Or are they just going to ignore that and play the typical Albany game ... and do nothing and go home,” Suozzi added.

The Assembly's Democratic majority and the Senate's Republican majority haven't even introduced Paterson's bill. Instead, the majorities have opposing tax-relief measures. That likely will keep Paterson's tax cap from a floor debate.

Paterson said the Senate Republican majority's proposal to allow school districts to phase out property taxes altogether is half a solution and would require an increase in the state income tax. Paterson said the Assembly Democrats' plan to increase relief for the neediest taxpayers under existing programs is a good second step, but not a substitute for a long overdue cap on the nation's highest property taxes.

“I need a partner in the Assembly and we need the governor to be there,” said Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, a Rensselaer County Republican. “The governor is there trying to do something about property taxes. We ought to get something that's for real. We ought to do it three ways and we ought to have an open discussion about that.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said he could support a tax cap as long as there is a “state commitment to make sure the resources are there.”

Paterson also aimed at the coalition opposing a tax cap, including the New York State United Teachers union, one of the most powerful lobbyists and biggest campaign contributors in Albany. He said it was outrageous that the coalition declared the tax cap dead weeks ago.

“The governor is obviously attempting his very best to make his argument for his legislation and as advocates in a democratic system we're doing our very best to raise our argument with lawmakers and citizens,” said NYSUT union President Richard C. Iannuzzi.