Every candidate for federal office, whether presidential, vice presidential or congressional, needs to answer a post $700 billion bailout question #- what do they really think Washington can do #- on the three biggest spending issues facing the United States #- energy independence, escalating health care costs and investing more in necessary infrastructure improvements? Addressing any of the three will require outlays or tax incentives, both of which cost money, money that is clearly no longer there because of last week's bailout votes.

Whether you believe in trickle down economics or not, public policy ramifications do trickle down and what occurs in Washington does have an impact on states. Couple that with the changes and fluctuations on Wall Street, and Albany will be the unlucky victim on this trickling down of policy. That means hard choices for the state Capitol. Candidates for the state Assembly and Senate also should be asked just as tough a question as those who are running for seats in Washington.

A month ago, prior to the meltdown on Wall Street, it was predicted that New York would be facing a $5.4 billion gap between its spending and revenue with the budget that would start six months from now. With the financial markets in flux it can be expected that the $5.4 billion will have exponentially ballooned.

With that in mind, members of the state Legislature will be faced, as soon as Nov. 18, with addressing the gap that will be on the governmental radar screen for some time.

Yet, the public needs to listen carefully to what they hear. They need to discount talk of legislation or changes in state policy that repeat those just uttered by the leadership of the parties of each house. Legislators talk too often about legislation that are in essence “one house bills” #- legislation that the majority in one house passes that have no chance of being passed by the other house, controlled by the opposing party, let alone signed by the governor.

If anything, legislative candidates should be asked to give specifics of what changes they would support, especially about cuts they would make, that can be supported by both houses. Such cuts need to be more than just the normal cost savings that come from “cutting waste, fraud and abuse” #- a mantra many repeat over and over. There is no way that this triple call will even make a major dent in the gap.

As a result, the public should expect details and the press must ask the tough questions and cut through the sound bytes and generalities for details. We can afford nothing less.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com