The big question on many minds as the New York State Legislature returns to Albany on Tuesday to address the fiscal crisis, especially those with a stake in the outcome of the decisions, such as local government leaders, health care providers and schools, is what is likely to get cut?

Yet, a more important question, that goes beyond even that all-consuming one, is will anyone have the courage to show the leadership that is needed on Tuesday to make tough but necessary choices?

There is no question that New York's fiscal situation is going from bad to worse. Gov. David Paterson has shown leadership in explaining to the electorate, if not the Legislature, that New York is in deep financial trouble, trouble that is only going to get worse. For example, three weeks ago the expected deficit for this year's current budget went from $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion and now looks to be $2 billion, caused in part, by the market's continued slide. Cumulatively, over the next four years, New York's deficit will be at, according to a recent announcement by Paterson, $47 billion.

With all that in mind, Paterson, who has been pushing for cuts since this year's fiscal plan was adopted more than eight months ago, has held off on calling a second special session of the Legislature until after last week's elections. It made sense that the Legislature, with all 212 members up on Nov. 4, was not going to be interested in making hard, and likely politically damning, choices until after Election Day.

With the elections now over, the chances for real structural change have become even harder, in light of the likely takeover of the Senate, for the first time in nearly 40 years, by the Democrats with a two-seat majority. Forget for a moment that some new members will not have taken their seats next Tuesday, focus instead on Senate Republicans who have now lost power and likely see no political percentage in making unpopular fiscal decisions. It now looks as if the GOP will attend the session, but using a demand for more information from Paterson, not act, leaving the problem for their replacements in the majority, to fix everything when they take over in 50 days.

No one should be surprised at such an attitude in a state capitol that seems to focus more on the political percentages, instead of what is in the best interests of the state.

The more responsible act, though, is to do the right thing and fix things. New York cannot go another 50 days without action to put its financial house in order as the window of fiscal options shrinks. It will take political courage to do so, not political maneuvering.

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