Blue Spot

Spitzer Gives State Of State Address | WBNG-TV Binghamton, NY | Local Top Stories

Governor Eliot Spitzer says New York is facing tough choices. But, he's not backing away from an agenda that will cost billions.

Walking into a joint session of the legislature, Governor Eliot Spitzer hoped to repair rifts and reinvigorate his vision. A vision to make New York the best place to live, work, and raise a family. "We can't abandon our ambition to pursue our goals at full throttle. On the other, we must adapt to the fiscal realities that are now upon us," says Spitzer.

Spitzer says it is time for the state to get real about property taxes. "From Mamaroneck to Binghamton, wherever I go I hear the same thing, property taxes are too high," says Spitzer.
But the Democratic Governor is not embracing Republican calls to provide billions more in school property tax relief. He says rebate checks won't solve the problem.

Instead, Spitzer is creating a commission to make recommendations for a property tax cap.
"A tax cap is a blunt instrument but it forces hard choices and discipline when nothing else has worked," says Spitzer.

Spitzer wants lawmakers to make a choice to invest in New York. 1 billion to revitalize Upstate. "Create an Upstate whose best days are not behind it but are yet ahead of it," says Spitzer. And create a 4 billion dollar endowment to fund higher education. "Higher Education funding must no longer be a budgetary pawn or yearly battle. It must be a permanent priority," says Spitzer.

Fully funding the Child Health Plus Insurance Program is on Spitzer's spending list.
He ended by reaching out to lawmakers after a year of tensions over Trooper Gate and Drivers Licenses. "We have work to do, a lot of work, for the people that sent us here," says Spitzer. Spitzer did not touch on how he wants to pay for his plans or where he sees making cuts. He did suggest the tapping into the value of the New York Lottery through private investment or other financing for the High Education Endowment.

Labels: Local, Spitzer

Spitzer to drop immigrant license plan - Life- msnbc.com

WASHINGTON - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he was abandoning a plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, but said that the federal government had “lost control” of its borders and left states to deal with the consequences.

“I have concluded that New York state cannot successfully address this problem on its own,” Spitzer said at a news conference after meeting wtih members of the state’s Congressional delegation.

Spitzer said overwhelming public opposition led to his decision.

Labels: Immigration, Spitzer

Bruno: Stone will resign over threatening calls

That was fast.

In a just-released statement, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno called the Roger Stone phone call flap "a distraction from the real issues - the abuse of government power, political espionage and a cover-up of information," but said the consultant has agreed to "resign and end his relationship with us at our request."

"We are not going to let this incident become a distraction or to be used as an excuse to hamper people from getting at the truth," Bruno said. The investigations into the Executive Chamber are continuing. We hope that both District Attorney Soares and the Ethics Commission will conduct full and thorough investigations to get at the truth that the public demands."

Hit play to hear the threat.

You're kidding me right? "A distraction from the real issues" is an understatement. Bruno has been distracting New Yorkers from the real issues for the last couple of months. And maybe his usage of state vehicles will finally become a "real issue."

Labels: Bruno, Local, Spitzer

Court ruling keeps heat on Bruno's pal-By Joe Mahoney-DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF A state appeals court gave the green light yesterday for further investigation of a horse-racing lobbyist who came under scrutiny for providing - what else - a plane ride to Senate GOP Leader Joe Bruno.

Albany area businessman Jared Abbruzzese, a business associate of Bruno, was ordered by the Appellate Division to cough up records that could be used in a probe into suspected violations of the state lobbying law.

The midlevel appeals court ruled that the state Lobbying Commission had an "adequate basis" to subpoena the records pertaining to a December 2005 flight Bruno took from Schenectady to New York City in a plane owned by Abbruzzese, a lobbyist who had ties to a group seeking the state thoroughbred racing franchise.

The lobbying probe began before the current flap involving dirty tricks by aides to Gov. Spitzer against Bruno over the use of state aircraft.

It involves a ride Bruno got on a plane owned by Abbruzzese in December 2005 after then-Gov. George Pataki decided he couldn't use the state helicopter that day, officials said.Bruno has defended his involvement with Abbruzzese and paid for the flight out of his campaign fund.

Labels: Bruno, Local, Spitzer

What goes around ...Daily News Editorial Considering Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's incessant charges that Gov. Spitzer is hiding dark misdeeds, it was delicious that an appeals court issued a reminder yesterday that a Bruno pal is stonewalling an investigation into who paid for the senator to fly on a private jet.

The case has to do with Jared Abbruzzese, who has had financial, political and personal relationships with Bruno. He has hired Bruno as a consultant, donated heavily to Republicans and made corporate jets available to Bruno. Abbruzzese's wife also purchased land from a firm with Bruno ties.

Across the ledger, Bruno directed $500,000 in state grants to a company linked to Abbruzzese, the Associated Press reported. The senator has said everything was on the up and up.

Still, Bruno's ties to Abbruzzese are the reason the FBI is giving the majority leader the once-over. And the feds compelled the Lobbying Commission to subpoena Abbruzzese's flight records. He must now give them to a judge, the court ruled.

Whether the documents show wrongdoing remains to be seen, but it is clear that Bruno likes to get around by plane. Remember, his filching of rides to political events on a state helicopter is what started the so-called Eliot Mess. At least one of Spitzer's aides wanted to expose Bruno, but he, or they, crossed the line by having the cops keep tabs on the majority leader.

In a hugely dumb move, that aide and another ranking staffer declined to be questioned by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's probers. Instead, they submitted sworn statements, giving Bruno the opening to trumpet that Spitzer and everyone around him must "come clean."

And, of course, they must. Spitzer has denied knowledge of the affair, and he has said, belatedly, that he will answer questions under oath. That's good. And the Ethics Commission has begun a probe. That's good, too. And, although Cuomo found no criminality, the Albany district attorney is reviewing the facts. Good, again.

It's time for Bruno to give it a rest, and to come back to earth.

Labels: Bruno, Local, Spitzer

Spitzer signs medical rights, 911 bills -- amNY.com

N.Y. (AP) _ Gov. Eliot Spitzer has signed bills into law that will provide added consumer protections to people in the health care system and alert consumers about potential shortcomings of Internet phones.

One law broadens the rights of health care consumers, physicians and hospitals associated with managed care health plans and streamlines rules so medical decisions can be made and acted upon faster.

"This legislation secures important new rights for health care consumers, doctors and hospitals and represents the type of coordination among all stakeholders in the health care system that will be necessary in our march toward universal health coverage for all New Yorkers," said Governor Spitzer.

Labels: Local, Spitzer

Spitzer 'happy' to be grilled

SYRACUSE - With public pressure on him building, Gov. Spitzer said yesterday he now would "love to" testify for investigators looking into the dirty tricks scheme his aides ran against Senate GOP leader Joe Bruno.

"I'm happy to, I'm going to, look forward to it," Spitzer said during a visit to Syracuse. "If they call me, I'd love to. If they don't, I'd love to send them my statements because this is going to be clarified."

Spitzer was referring to the state Ethics Commission, which is considering a full-blown investigation into the scandal. Until yesterday, Spitzer and his office wouldn't discuss whether he would agree to answer their questions.

Key conflicts

Spitzer aides say the Ethics Commission is the right body to conduct a new investigation because it is empowered to investigate misconduct by government workers, not crimes, and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found no crimes.

Republicans say Cuomo's probe was hampered because two key Spitzer aides, Darren Dopp and Richard Baum, refused to testify. They want Spitzer to grant Cuomo subpoena power to take a second crack at it, or another body such as the state Commission of Investigation to take it on.

Spitzer aides defend the move to keep Dopp and Baum from answering questions in Cuomo's inquiry, saying they were only sought out after it was determined there was no crime. Brief written statements were offered instead.

Republicans say it is highly suspicious that Dopp and Baum ducked Cuomo's probers, suggesting a possible coverup to protect others, including Spitzer. Cuomo's office made it clear it wanted Dopp and Baum to answer questions.

Labels: Local, Spitzer

Republican consultants on NY1 trying to convince New Yorkers that the Spitzer administration is over. What I want to know is why isn't anybody talking about Franco's helicopter fetish? Like the obstructionists they truly are, the GOP is halting progress once again.

Labels: Local, Spitzer