Spitzer Budget Rises Further;
Paterson Appears to Give Way
To Bruno, Silver on Spending
By Henry J. Stern
April 1, 2008
Resting from yesterday's magnum opus on congestion pricing, we have three short notes on state and local matters.
Paterson Appears to Yield on Budget
1. The Silver-Bruno-Paterson budget is even less responsible than the Silver-Bruno-Spitzer budget. Despite Spitzer's numerous failings, he had a glimmering of fiscal awareness. As he plunged the state deeper into deficit spending, he tried to limit the damage that was being done. The new governor appears to have no such inhibitions. Despite the tough talk in his inaugural March 17, he has yielded to the legislators on almost every proposed reduction.
So far, the governor has projected weakness, both for his gratuitous disclosures (who cares what he and his wife did seven to nine years ago), his lobbying on behalf of his wife's employer, North General Hospital, and his apparent lack of impact on the budget. Of course, one could argue that without his clandestine intervention, the budget would have been even higher. Does anyone need an historic bridge about to be tolled?
Spitzer Lies, No Surprise
2. The Soares revelations confirm what we knew all along: that Spitzer was involved in Troopergate up to his neck. We wrote back in July that the only issue was whether Spitzer concocted the plot or concurred in it. The answer is probably the former choice.
Once he lied, he was caught in the perjury trap, and for the rest of his administration, he tried to wiggle out of it. As soon as the issue became public, we urged him to tell the truth, apologize and put the matter behind him. Instead he and his enablers sought to put the blame on Darren Dopp, which is analogous to Nixon blaming Watergate on the plumbers.
Link to our column for July 24, 2007. We quote, "The clumsy plot against Bruno, using the State Police for political reasons, is Nixonian in nature. He is now in a situation similar to the one Nixon faced in 1973. He has denied that he was aware of events which, in the normal course of business or politics, he would certainly have known. He has thrown his faithful aide (Darren Dopp) to the wolves, a fate reminiscent of that which befell Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Mitchell 33 years ago. (now 34).
"In general, top aides do not commit unethical or illegal acts without the knowledge and approval of their bosses, unless the crime is embezzlement. Perjury, lying under oath, is a measure of loyalty usually asociated with criminal gangs....To put it even more briefly: Repent, before it is too late."
On July 27, we wrote: "The governor didn't take the advice we offered...Instead, he went to the editorial board of the Daily News with a limited denial that seemed calculated to avoid the perjury trap. The problem is, not one person in a hundred believes that he is telling the truth. He lied before, over his father's loans to his campaign." At the time, Michael Goodwin of the News wrote a highly critical column on the subject.
City Council Has a Close Vote
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3. City Council Roll Call on Congestion Pricing - March 31, 2007
Aye – 30 Nay – 20 Absent – 1
Here is a roll call taken the night our long article was written:
N - Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., 32, Queens, Democrat
Y - Maria del Carmen Arroyo, 17, Bronx, Democrat
N - Tony Avella, 19, Queens, Democrat
Y - Maria Baez, 14, Bronx, Democrat
N - Charles Barron, 42, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Gale A. Brewer, 6, Manhattan, Democrat
N - Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., 27, Queens, Democrat
N - Bill de Blasio, 39, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Inez E. Dickens, 9, Manhattan, Democrat
N - Erik Martin Dilan, 37, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - Mathieu Eugene, 40, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Simcha Felder, 44, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - Lewis A. Fidler, 46, Brooklyn, Democrat
ABSENT - Helen D. Foster, 16, Bronx, Democrat
N - Dennis P. Gallagher, 30, Queens, Republican
Y - Daniel R. Garodnick, 4, Manhattan, Democrat
N - James F. Gennaro, 24, Queens, Democrat
N - Vincent J. Gentile, 43, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Alan J. Gerson, 1, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Eric N. Gioia, 26, Queens, Democrat
Y - Sara M. Gonzalez, 38, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - Vincent Ignizio, 51, Staten Island, Republican
Y - Robert Jackson, 7, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Letitia James, 35, Brooklyn, Working Families
N - Melinda R. Katz, 29, Queens, Democrat
Y - G. Oliver Koppell, 11, Bronx, Democrat
Y - Jessica S. Lappin, 5 Manhattan, Democrat
Y - John C. Liu, 20, Queens, Democrat
Y - Melissa Mark-Viverito, 8, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Miguel Martinez, 10, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Michael E. McMahon, 49 Staten Island, Democrat
N - Darlene Mealy, 41, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Rosie Mendez, 2, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Hiram Monserrate, 21, Queens, Democrat
N - Michael C. Nelson, 48, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - James S. Oddo, 50, Staten Island, Republican
Y - Annabel Palma, 18, Bronx, Democrat
Y - Christine C. Quinn, 3, Manhattan, Democrat
Y - Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., 47, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - Diana Reyna, 34, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - Joel Rivera, 15, Bronx, Democrat
Y - James Sanders, Jr., 31, Queens, Democrat
Y - Larry B. Seabrook, 12, Bronx, Democrat
N - Helen Sears, 25, Queens, Democrat
Y - Kendall Stewart, 45, Brooklyn, Democrat
Y - James Vacca, 13, Bronx, Democrat
N - Peter F. Vallone Jr., 22, Queens, Democrat
Y - Albert Vann, 36, Brooklyn, Democrat
N - David I. Weprin, 23, Queens, Democrat
Y - Thomas White, Jr. 28, Queens, Democrat
Y - David Yassky 33, Brooklyn, Democrat
Note: Bronx Council Member Foster was absent.
*Correction: The state tax repealed in May 1999 was the commuter tax, not the computer tax. Thanks to those who wrote in to inform us of that slip of the brain. We can't blame the finger, the letter m is pretty far from p. Its just that we think much more about computers than commuters. We thank several readers for letting us know.
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