IT CAME AS A SURPRISE to learn this week that New York doesn't rank as one of the most debt-ridden states. By one new measure, this state comes in at a mere 18^th overall nationwide. So can we stop wringing our hands now and forget about the state budget crisis?

Not if you're a teacher. For teachers the reality of the state's huge budget deficit is about to hit home. The New York State School Boards Association estimates that as many as 14,800 teachers will lose their jobs statewide under the governor's budget proposal. The total number of school district job cuts throughout this county, based on what school boards have planned for right now, comes to more than 150, a shocking number considering the county already has unprecedented unemployment.

CHEST PAINS, a car crash, too sick to drive. These and many other conditions would cause most of us to dial 911. Sometimes police officers or firefighters arrive on the scene first, and they can--and do--save lives. But if you were desperately ill or injured, what you'd most want to see is a paramedic and an ambulance.

That's what emergency services consistently provide in most Columbia County communities. In New Lebanon and half of Canaan, however, the Lebanon Valley Protective Association Ambulance service does not have state paramedic certification. Its volunteer members and paid staff have undoubtedly saved countless lives, and while their level of skill is welcome and useful in emergencies, it's not the same as a paramedic's.