By Matthew McGevna
The governor¹s Power-Point presentation closed with a montage that showed head shots of state senators Dean Skelos, Charles Fuschillo, Kemp Hannon, Carl Marcellino, Owen Johnson, Ceasar Trunzo, John Flanagan and Kenneth Lavalle, under the headline: ³Tell your senator to come back to finish the people¹s business.²
The governor¹s contends that the Senate broke for vacation before voting on a number of key bills, including a clean-energy measure, a reformed initiative to promote construction clean-up and the confirmation of some of his appointments. ³With all of this work left undone, the Senate majority still made it a priority to give themselves a pay raise,² Spitzer said, as he referenced another slide on his presentation. The governor added that some of the bills were already ³sitting up on the tee,² and only required the Senate to go into chambers and vote on them. Then he showed a photograph of the Senate chamber, empty, under the banner: ³Where is your senator? Not here...²
Local businessmen who comprise the Nassau Chambers of Commerce took issue with Spitzer¹s sharp sarcasm. During a brief question-and-answer period, audience members told the governor that they supported their local senator and didn¹t think they were acting neglectful by leaving Albany for vacation.
³We¹re very proud to have the governor come and visit us, but I was a little confused by the mixed message,² said Rich Bivone, president of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. ³We think our senators are doing an outstanding job. They¹re coming back on July 16, and I believe that they will do the business of the people.²
³I¹m a big supporter of [Senator] Dean Skelos. I¹m proud that he¹s the deputy majority leader and I think he¹s done a wonderful job,² said Joseph Garay of Oceanside Christopher Federal Credit Union.
Garay added, however, that he was impressed with Spitzer¹s straightforward talk. ³I don¹t know if I would have gone about it like that, but sometimes with politicians, that kind of honesty is a welcome thing,² he said.
Skelos and Fuschillo did not find Spitzer¹s honesty quite so refreshing. ³First of all, Senator Skelos is very surprised that the governor was on Long Island taking credit for the additional state school aid that the Long Island Senate majority delegation secured,² said Tom Dunham, a spokesman for Skelos. ³In terms of leaving town, the senate concluded the session on schedule and we look forward to returning to Albany to pass important bills when compromises are reached.²
³It¹s more of a political than governmental agenda,² said Fuschillo. ³It¹s stomp campaigning and that¹s unfortunate.² Fuschillo defended the Senate¹s leaving Albany, stating that the session ended on schedule and they did nothing wrong. Hannon could not be reached for comment.
Spitzer has been in a war of words with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno since the session ended in Albany. Bruno called Spitzer ³temperamental² and ³a rich brat too used to getting his way.² When asked to comment at the East Meadow luncheon, Spitzer refused, stating simply that ³Mr. Bruno¹s behavior speaks for itself.²
Most of the governor¹s presentation highlighted his administration¹s accomplishments along ethical and financial lines. He touted his increased school funding and his continued efforts to reform campaign finance and lobbying power.
³His platform on campaign finance reform is hypocritical,² said Fuschillo. ³On one hand he¹s out there telling people he wants reform, but on the other hand he¹s raising millions of dollars for himself. He just had a birthday party fund-raiser. Part of it was for access to him.²
The Bristal in East Meadow was just one stop along the governor¹s ³Unfinished Business² tour, a campaign to put pressure on the Senate to return. The majority leader said the Senate will return, as scheduled, on July 16.
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