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DOMINIC CARTER, MODERATOR. Good evening and welcome to the Schimmel Theater at Pace University in Lower Manhattan.
Tonights debate is being broadcast on NY1, NY1 Noticias and WNYC-AM 820 radio, New York City, Capital News 9 in Albany, R News in Rochester and News 10 Now in Syracuse.
The hour-long debate is also being seen on News 12 on Long Island and News 12 Westchester and heard on radio stations across upstate New York.
Now to the journalists joining me tonight. Here is out panel: Sandra Endo of NY1 News; Brian Lehrer of WNYC radio; Juan Manuel Benitez of NY1 Noticias and Brian Taffe of Capital Tonight.
For the gentlemen we are all waiting to hear from tonight, the two candidates: State attorney general Eliot Spitzer and Nassau County executive Tom Suozzi.
The format of tonights debate is as follows:
Each candidate will have a one-minute opening statement. Then, starting with myself, we will directly ask one candidate a question. The candidate will have 90 seconds to respond. The other candidate will then have a 60-second rebuttal. If the person asking the question or I decide to do so, the first candidate may then have a 30-second additional response. The panelists and myself have the right to follow up our questions, which will not be taken out of the candidates allotted time. The candidates will also have two opportunities tonight to ask each other questions. And we will end this debate with a series of lightning round questions where the candidates can only answer yes or no to the questions that I will ask them. We think you will enjoy that. And that will be followed by a one-minute closing statement. I will begin things by turning to the candidates now for their opening statements and we start with the Nassau County executive, Tom Suozzi.
SUOZZI. Thank you, Dominic.
New York state government is dysfunctional. Both parties are rotten to the core. We have major problems that exist in the state.
You know, Eliots been in office for the past seven-and-a-half years in Albany and hes never really focused on government reform. Instead hes focused on Wall Street. Why? Its government that is hurting us. Now hes embraced by all the politicians, all the insiders and all the lobbyists who have given us this broken system.
Theres a real difference between Eliot Spitzer and me. Theres a real choice in this race.
I have a proven record as a government reformer, a record as a C.E.O. where Ive proven that government can work for the people.
As your governor, Ill do everything I can and Ill stand up to whoever I have to to make sure that we improve our schools here in New York City. Ill make sure that we reduce our property taxes and Ill create jobs throughout our states. I can do it because Ive done it.
As Nassau County executive, I took the worst-run county in the nation and made it one of the most dramatic turnarounds in this country. New York needs a governor who can do its job. I can do it because Ive done it. Thank you.
CARTER. Thank you very much Mr. Suozzi.
And now for the attorney general of New York State, Mr. Eliot Spitzer.
SPITZER. Thank you, Dominic. Thank you to the panelists. Thank you to all the stations sponsoring this debate. And thank you, most of all, to the citizens of New York who have given me the unbelievable honor and privilege over the last seven-and-a-half years of serving as your attorney general.
When I took over on Jan. 1 of 1999, everything changed. An office that was moribund was transformed into an office that spoke to the ethics, the values, the moral vision that we believe in.
We took on pharmaceutical companies that were lying to the public, companies out of state that were polluting our air, government agencies that were defrauding us, that were wasting our tax dollars and, yes, we took on those companies on Wall Street that were violating their trust to us by squandering and lying to us and wasting away our pension dollars and our savings.
If I am fortunate enough to be elected governor on Jan. 1 of 2007, everything will change again. I will take those same values, those ethics, that moral vision, and transform the governors office so that we will first and foremost revive an economy by cutting property taxes, controlling spending, investing in the infrastructure that we need. We will begin to reform an educational system, a health care system, that are dysfunctional. And we will fundamentally change government so that it reflects the moral vision that we all share.
I hope you will join me in that effort. Thank you.
CARTER. Thank you, Mr. Spitzer.
And now, gentlemen, it is time to turn to the questions and Mr. Suozzi, you will face the first question tonight from myself. It is a two-part question:
Why should voters have any confidence that you have the experience or the knowledge to lead the entire state? You have shown that you are very good at upsetting the apple cart, if you will, on the campaign trail, accusing Mr. Spitzer of being the ultimate Albany insider, charging he has expressed very few specifics to tell us how he will pay for his ideas. But why should anyone think that you will be able to work well with the leaders of the state legislature next year?
And, Mr. Suozzi, while you have referred to Mr. Spitzer as the ultimate insider, in Nassau County are you an insider of sorts in which you have apparently taken donations from for your golf outing from companies that receive county contracts? And apparently you have used county employees to gather your petitions to get on the ballot. Do you want it both ways here?
SUOZZI. That sounded like an eight-part question, Dominic. But I will try and answer every single piece of it. Thats really the perfect question. I do have to convince the voters of New York State that Im the better candidate for governor of the State of New York.
Now the difference between Eliot and I is that hes a prosecutor. Im a chief executive. And the thing that Ive established in my experience as county executive of Nassau County, that I can take a large complex government and make it work better for the people Nassau County was rated literally the worst-run county in the United States. Its bond rating was one step above junk bond status. It had massive deficits. Now fast-forward to today, four years later. Nassau as a county is considered the most dramatic financial turnaround in the nation. Weve received more bond upgrades that any municipality in the United States. I beat the Republican machine in Nassau County. I became the first Democrat with a Democratic legislature in Nassau County since 1917. And I did it I had to stand up to my own party in the process. I had to run in a Democratic primary against the Democratic chairman.
So my whole race, whether its the government reforming government, making government work, battling with Albany and getting things done in Albany, or the politics of standing up to powerful political machines, my message is the same: I can do it because Ive done it.
Eliots been in office for seven-and-a-half years. He promised us he would go after government corruption. Yet the headlines hes received over the past seven-and-a-half years have been about Wall Street and the insurance industry and the record industry. He has not gone after government corruption. Hes not gone after the dysfunctional system that we have in Albany. Its not a matter of getting along with the legislators. Its a matter of making the reforms that are necessary so that they realize its in their political interest to make those reforms.
CARTER. Thank you, Mr. Suozzi. Mr. Spitzer.
SPITZER. Yes, sir.
CARTER. Your reaction to what he just said. And then I have a question for you.
SPITZER. Well, I think that Tom, and I give him credit for some successes in Nassau, but I think that the reality is that the financial turnaround that he has highlighted is a consequence of one thing: property tax increases. One of the things that we have not heard from Mr. Suozzi is that when he came into office, he promised that he would not raise property taxes. And yet what he has done is raise property taxes, first when he was the mayor of Glen Cove, second, when he was the county executive, third, it is built into his incoming upcoming budget, fourth, he has proposed a tax on a toll on the L.I.E., and fifth, to pay for what he now pretends will be a property tax cut that he supports, hes talking about a $1 billion sales tax increase.
And so I would say to Mr. Suozzi: What you have done repeatedly is raise taxes. What I have done is use the tools available to me. He makes much of the fact that Ive been a prosecutor. Indeed, thats what the role of attorney general is. I have done the job I have had. I would now like to take on another job where I will be able to do more in certain areas. But we have done a remarkable amount. In Medicaid, which I know we will talk about, up 2,000 percent in recoveries. Government authorities that nobody had been talking about, we have said over and over they must be fundamentally reformed. We have led that charge. I am enormously proud of what we have done in that regard.
CARTER. Mr. Spitzer, let me ask you a quick follow-up here. Sort of along the lines of the questions that I just directed toward Mr. Suozzi: Why should anyone expect real change from you when many of your supporters are the members of the current political establishment?
SPITZER. Dominic, the supporters whom I value, the supporters who are legion out there, are the real people of New York State whose interests Ive represented. When I go up to Lackawanna and I speak to voters in the street and they say Thank you for standing up to the polluters, the pharmaceutical companies, the corruption in government, they say thank you. I thank the cops, the firefighters, the Sierra Club, Naral. These are not partisan interests; these are real people who speak to the values and the concerns that we share. That is what I care about.
CARTER. Mr. Suozzi.
SUOZZI. Dominic, this is why we need to have multiple debates because Eliot Spitzer just said that the way I solved the problem in Nassau County was by raising property taxes and thats all I relied on. And he knows thats just false. I reduced the work force to the smallest its been in 30 years. I cut $100 million in waste, fraud and abuse. I stood up to the most powerful political interests, the P.B.A. union out in Nassau County, to get historic concessions from them. I cut borrowing in half. I raised property taxes my first time in office but my first year in office but Im the only county in all of New York State, the entire state of New York, that has not raised property taxes for the past three years in a row. I took what was the worst-run county in this country this is the difference between you and I, Eliot. You dont understand what it takes to manage a large, complex, multibillion-dollar government. It requires a whole panoply of things.
And we have to continue to debate these issues so the people will find out the real differences between you and I. Being a prosecutor you cant solve the problems of New York State by issuing subpoenas and filing lawsuits. Youve got to manage employees. Youve got to stand up to powerful political interests and you have to make the government work for the people.
For the past seven-and-a-half years
CARTER. O.K.
SUOZZI. you have not done that in office.
CARTER. A quick rebuttal, Mr. Spitzer. A quick rebuttal. A quick rebuttal from the attorney general. And then well move on to the panel.
SPITZER. Dominic, if I could be very clear, you cannot change all the problems with subpoenas and lawsuits. We have encountered many problems, solved many problems, solved many major issues. There are other problems only a governor can solve. That is why Im running for governor. That is why Im asking the publics support in that regard.
CARTER. O.K. Thank you, gentlemen. It is now time to go to our panel. And we start with our own Sandra Endo.
ENDO. Thank you so much, Dominic. Mr. Spitzer, this question is for you and were talking about lawsuits here. The states highest court ruled that same-sex marriages are not legal in New York. You said, if elected governor, you would draft legislation to legalize gay marriage. Yet as state attorney general, you argued against it on behalf of the state.
If you felt so strongly that same-sex marriages should be legal, why didnt you recuse yourself from the suit?
SPITZER. Because Because the role of recusal is not one where you disagree with the outcome or the position of the state. My client over the last seven and a half years has been the State of New York. I am constitutionally obligated. It is my sworn duty to represent the state. Every attorney general over years has understood that. It is the right and only thing to do. And in fact we have done so in many cases where I disagreed with a particular outcome of the case. But that is the job. And anybody running for this office should understand it. Any lawyer should understand it.
Now, my particular position on the issue has also been very clear. I have said with great clarity that I think that same-sex marriage should be legal. I will propose a bill to permit that to be the case here in the State of New York. And I will act on that if Im fortunate enough to be elected governor next Jan. 1.
Q. Since were talking about specifics here in the debate, what other cases specifically did you disagree with, yet you had to argue on behalf of the state for?
SPITZER. Sure. I will give you one where again we won, but I wish that the policy were otherwise. Cameras in the courtroom, which I think is a critically important issue in terms of media access to the judicial system. I believe we should permit cameras in the courtroom. I have said so publicly. I have supported the legislation that would permit cameras to be permitted into the courtroom. And yet the Court of Appeals, pursuant to our arguments, deemed that statute that bans them to be constitutional. So we won the case, but again I disagree with the outcome. But that is the job of being attorney general. There is a huge array of cases
Q. How about school funding specifically?
SPITZER. School funding, again, I have said repeatedly I would come to a different result with respect to the C.F.E. issues, that again no doubt we will discuss this evening. But it is the constitutional obligation of the attorney general of the state to represent his or her client, that is the State of New York. And that is what I have done. The public understands it. And I think it is the right and only thing to do.
Q. All right, Mr. Suozzi. You have a very different view on gay marriage. And you dont support same-sex marriages, yet you have said that you hope for a way for gay and lesbian couples in long-term relationships to have, quote, the same economic rights and legal protections as married couples. Why not let same-sex couples get married like anyone else?
SUOZZI. Let me first respond to some of the points that Eliot just made in his response, with a lot of legalese and technicalities. Its shocking to me, when asked which cases he disagreed with the governor on, that he brought up cameras in the courtroom and not the campaign for fiscal equity as the first case. I mean its Now he knows Im a lawyer. He said lawyers should know this. I know as a lawyer that in every instance you could have hired outside counsel if you disagree with the governor. Your commercials say: I represent the people of New York. It doesnt say: I represent the governor.
So the reality is every one of your predecessors, every single attorney general in the history of the State of New York has hired outside counsel when they disagreed with the governor on serious political matters.
Now regarding same-sex marriage, I am opposed to gay marriage. Eliot supports gay marriage. I believe I believe that every single person regardless of their *** orientation is entitled to be treated with human respect and dignity. And I believe that gay couples, same-sex couples, lesbian couples should have the opportunity to enjoy the same legal rights and economic benefits that heterosexual couples do. As county executive of Nassau County, I provided for health insurance for same-sex couples who work in our government. And I would, as governor, work to create civil unions so that legal and economic benefits could be provided for same-sex couples. But I do not agree with Eliot Spitzer and I do not support gay marriage.
Q. However, a lot of gay rights activists argue that they just want recognition here, Mr. Suozzi. So isnt it discriminatory in name only then?
SUOZZI. It is I think a lot to do with semantics. But for me and my religion, gay marriage or marriage, I should say, is a sacrament. And I believe that many other people feel the same way. But I think you can have the same legal and economic benefits through civil unions to provide for inheritance rights, for health insurance benefits, for opportunities to enjoy a lot of the same legal and economic benefits.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, you have a chance to respond.
SPITZER. If I could make two quick points. First, semantics is not what this is about. This is about equality. Equality means giving people the rights that they are entitled to and that means marriage.
Second, and this is a very fundamental point that I think every lawyer should understand, it would have been the height of arrogance on my part to say to the governor, to the citizens, to the taxpayers: I disagree with this case, therefore, I will force you to shoulder the burden of $10-, $20-, $30-million of legal expenses because I dont want to represent the state.
And, Tom, youre simply wrong you are simply wrong when you say other attorneys general have done that. They havent done it. Its the wrong thing to do. This is what the job requires. It is obligatory. It is my sworn oath of office. And Im proud to have done it.
SUOZZI. Eliot, specifically Let me just say this one point. Very brief. Very brief.
Q. Very brief.
SUOZZI. Specifically, in the C.F.E. case, you predecessor had outside counsel to represent the state in that matter. And you brought it in-house. Now why would you do that if you disagreed with the policy?
SPITZER. I disagreed Because it was costing First, the representation was terrible. He chose a politically connected law firm, gave it out as a contract. And it was costing the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. It was wrong
SUOZZI. So you disagreed with the suit
SPITZER. It was wrong and improper. And that is why
[BOTH SPEAKING OVER ONE ANOTHER]
SUOZZI. So you disagreed with the policy. But for the last seven and a half years youve gone along with the policy.
Q. Gentlemen, I have to Mr. Suozzi Mr. Spitzer Gentlemen. Can we please get along, gentlemen.
SUOZZI. Cant we just get along, Eliot?
Q. We have to stick to the rules here. And for the audience, I would please ask you to try to keep your reaction at a minimum, simply for the fact that we want to try and get as much information from these two men that want to be governor as possible. Lets now move to the next question, and its coming tonight from Brian Lehrer.
Q. Thank you, Dominic. Mr. Suozzi, New York State currently has no death penalty statute. If you are elected governor, would you introduce one?
SUOZZI. No. Im opposed to the death penalty.
Q. Is there any version of a death penalty law that the legislature could pass that you would sign?
SUOZZI. I have always been opposed to the death penalty on principle and I will always remain opposed to the death penalty on principle.
Q. For cop killers, for terrorists?
SUOZZI. Im opposed to the death penalty.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, same question. Would you introduce a death penalty statute if elected governor? And is there any version of one that the legislature could pass that you would sign?
SPITZER. Brian, I have always been philosophically comfortable that the death penalty is appropriate in the context of cases against humanity, crimes against humanity, terrorism, intentional *** of a police officer. Yes, I believe the death penaltys an appropriate sanction. And to answer your follow-up, yes, there will be a bill that will be introduced and there will be one that I would sign in that context.
Q. What will you introduce specifically?
SPITZER. Well Im not going to give you the precise provisions and statutes. But those categories of crimes that I just delineated for you, I believe the death penalty is an appropriate sanction for.
But again, let me say something else, this has not been at the top of my priority list as a matter of law enforcement as a prosecutor for many, many year. I know those measures that win that reduce the rate of crime. The DNA legislation that I pushed for very aggressively this year, that is the sort of bill that has a real impact in the street, that I will push for.
Q. You say it hasnt been at the top of your agenda, but when you first ran for attorney general in 1994, you distinguished yourself from the other Democratic Party candidates by making a point of your support for the death penalty. That was before the revelations about DNA technology and wrongful convictions. Has your position evolved at all since 1994?
SPITZER. My position, Brian, has always been the same, that it is an appropriate sanction for those crimes that I delineated, where we must have with enormous precision the process, the procedural rules to ensure that we do not have issues of error. And interestingly, since you go back to the 94 race, the first issue I raised in the 94 race was DNA testing long before it have become a popular issue. The issue I raised initially was DNA. Because I said this is a technology that will permit us both to convict and to exonerate. That was the very first issue I raised as a candidate for attorney general.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, brief response.
SUOZZI. Eliot did not make those distinctions back in 1994 and his previous campaigns. He sought the death penalty in all instance of capital crimes. So to suggest that you
SPITZER. Thats simply wrong, Tom.
SUOZZI. to suggest that you limited it to terrorists back in 1994 and to cop killers in 1994 is just not accurate. In fact, you ran television commercials, did literature on it saying that this was his big issue.
SPITZER. O.K.
Q. Thank you, both. O.K., gentlemen. And now we turn for the next question from my NY1 colleague, Juan Manuel Benitez from NY1 Noticias.
Q. Thank you, Dominic. And this is for Mr. Spitzer. Under a provision of the Deficit Reduction Act in effect since July 1, states are required to demand proof of citizenship to any Medicaid applicants. Would you enforce this provision if elected governor? And if not, are you considering any kind of statewide executive orders similar to New York Citys No. 41, which prohibits city employees from asking questions about a persons immigration status?
SPITZER. Yes, I am. I would not enforce that provision. I disagree with it. I do not believe that it is the role of the state to be transformed into one big I.N.S. agent. It is antithetical to what I my views on immigration, on immigration policy. In fact, over the last number of years as attorney general Ive needed to rebuff the efforts of the current Department of Justice in Washington that has tried to force my office and other prosecutorial offices in New York State to participate and ask every witness, every crime victim, to make us I.N.S. agents. And I said no. We are a city and a state of immigrants. We believe in immigrant rights. We believe that that is not the way to resolve this issue. That is politics in its worst form coming out of Washington. We have a more sophisticated, more nuanced, more appropriate view here in New York State.
Q. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. Ive always been a very strong supporter of immigrant rights and continue to be so and actually agree with Eliot on this one particular provision. And we would not try and take over the role of the federal government to enforce their laws. Its inappropriate I believe for local officials, whether its police officers or Medicaid applicant recipients or anyone else in the state government to take over the job of federal officials. If a crime if committed its appropriate for law enforcement to find out if someone has citizenship or not. But otherwise its completely inappropriate. I have a long record as the mayor of the City of Glen Cove and as the county executive of Nassau County for standing up for immigrant rights. And support the McCain-Kennedy bill that was recently proposed in the United State Senate. And I also worked as mayor of the City of Glen Cove 12 years ago to create the first site for the gathering spot for newcomers from Central and South America, which has been a very heated issue. Its the first place anywhere in the United States of America on the East Cost to provide for such a provision.
Q. Thank you. And just one quick thing to Mr. Spitzer. Would you consider any kind of executive order like No. 41 here in New York City?
SPITZER. Yes, I would.
Q. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you Juan Manuel. And now we turn to my colleague, Brian Taffe.
Q. Thank you, Dominic. Thank you, gentlemen. Thanks for coming. My question is geared towards Mr. Suozzi. As Dominic mentioned at the top of the debate tonight, the breadth of our audience stretches from one end of New York State to the other. So wed be remiss if we did not bring up what has been described as an upstate-downstate divide, a relationship between the two that has been historically marked with tension, even hostility at times each side accusing the other of taking more than their fair share. That said, Mr. Suozzi, the legislature is comprised mostly of downstate residents. You, yourself, are a downstate resident. How do you at once address what has been described as that upstate-downstate divide? And, given the fact that you are a downstater, convince our upstate viewers tonight that their issues matter to you and that you intend to address them equitably?
SUOZZI. I think that Im the better candidate for upstate residents, for residents of western New York and throughout the state, because I grew up in a small town and I understand the problems that are being faced in many upstate communities right now.
As mayor of the City of Glen Cove, I came into office and our stores were closed up in the downtown. People were hanging out on the street corners. The windows were boarded up. I know what its like to be see, love your hometown and see the place falling apart. And thats the big issue thats happening throughout most of upstate right now, and western New York as well.
People want to move back to their hometowns and they cant. They graduate from college. They want to go find a job and they cant find a job.
I believe Im the best person to create jobs in upstate New York. For years weve been hearing about politicians saying theyre going to create jobs. It hasnt happened. And the only way its going to happen is not through new programs. Its going to happen because you need to change the hostile business climate that now exists in New York State.
Ive specifically proposed to reduce property taxes in New York State. Ive specifically proposed that we change the Wicks Law and we change the binding arbitration laws in New York State that many special interests that support Mr. Spitzer dont want us to change.
Ive specifically proposed that we change some of the laws that make the cost of doing business here in New York State too expensive. You know, our insurance costs are some of the highest in the nation because of the scaffolding law. Our workers compensation costs are some of the highest in the nation because of attempts by the legislature to please the trial lawyers.
If were going to make New York State competitive again, we need to change these laws. We need to reduce property taxes. We need to create a better environment for business to locate here.
Now downstate New York masks the fact that our business climate is so hostile because we have economic engines like Wall Street and the insurance industry and the entertainment industry and the real estate industry.
But if you cut off north of Putnam and Rockland County, it would be the poorest state in the United States of America.
Weve lost half the population over the past couple decades.
So as governor of New York, I have three priorities: Reduce property taxes; improve schools in our cities and create jobs in upstate New York.
CARTER. O.K. Mr. Suozzi.
TAFFE. O.K. Well talk, hopefully, a bit more about the business climate coming up in the debate. But, Mr. Spitzer, critics of the way the present administration has been run have suggested that the epicenter of government in New York State has moved from Albany increasingly downstate less state business getting done in Albany where it historically has always been done. That leads me to ask you if you, as governor, would move the epicenter of government back to New York back to Albany if not just with the appearance of doing business in the capital upstate? And does that include living in the governors mansion?
SPITZER. The answer is, I think there are three yess that follow from your question. But well let me parse it a little bit. I have traveled the state for seven-and-a-half years as attorney general. Ive been in every town, every village. I have seen the despair. I have seen the outflow of our kids 180,000 population loss over the last four years. I dont think its half of our population, Tom, but it is 180,000 over the last four years; 25 percent of our kids 20 to 34. And I have a program, I have ideas that will rejuvenate our economy. But most importantly, over the last seven-and-a-half years nobody has come up to me and said, Eliot, youre from the Bronx; you dont understand the problems in Erie County or in Watertown or wherever I happened to be. People have said to me, Thank you for taking up our cause; it is the cause of equity, decency, fairness, justice. Those are the issues people care about. And theyve said to me, you are fighting for those purposes and those causes. Thats what I will continue to do.
Now, specifically, when it comes to property taxes, let me be very clear: the property tax proposal that I have, a $6 billion, three-year property tax cut, is focused on the middle class, focused on those, the farmers, those who need the benefit of this tax plan, those who will benefit.
Toms plan, unfortunately, is focused only on 10 counties. It doesnt go to the vast number of counties, those individuals across the state who need help. The economic development program I proposed for our upstate cities investing in our universities, residential construction, special sectors that will do better those ideas will bring our kids back, bring jobs back, bring hope back.
TAFFE. O.K. Got to end it there. Mr. Suozzi, if you so choose, Mr. Spitzer took issue with something in particular you said. Would you like to respond?
SUOZZI. Id like to respond by saying, Ive talked to families throughout the state. Ive talked to employees. Ive talked to business leaders. And theyve said very specifically that if businesses are to locate in New York State, especially in the upstate area, we have to be more competitive. There has to be a less hostile business environment. The No. 1 reason that people locate in a particular town is because of their job. And if the business is not there, the jobs not there. If the jobs not there, the people arent there. Now, to create a less hostile business climate in New York State is going to require us to change some of the laws that make our business climate too expensive in New York State. Eliot Spitzers been asked specifically would he change the Wicks Law. Hes been asked specifically would he change the binding arbitration laws. Hes been asked specifically would he change workers compensation and scaffolding law. And his response is: I wont tell you.
TAFFE. O.K. Thank you, gentlemen.
CARTER. Thank you, Mr. Suozzi.
SPITZER. Dominic, if I might respond.
CARTER. Go ahead quickly, Mr. Spitzer.
SPITZER. Tom, let me just make sure you know, as a lawyer, I do always like to make sure that the record is clear so that you can argue the case. The answer was: of course were going to change those laws. We must change the Wicks Law; we must change binding arbitration. These are all issues that of course we have to address. All of my supporters understand it. The citizens understand it. We are unified in that perspective. The issue is getting it done. That is the issue.
CARTER. Quickly, Mr. Suozzi.
SUOZZI. The problem that exists in New York State right now is that the legislature has no incentive to make the difficult decisions that have to be made because, whether they make the right decision or wrong decision, they get re-elected anyway. Theres a 98.5 percent re-election rate. And we have to hold Mr. Spitzer, Mr. Spitzer has embraced the status quo. Well simply be replacing a Republican governor with a Democratic governor who will tinker around the edges if Mr. Spitzer is elected governor of New York State. We need complete, wholesale reform of our entire government in New York State. I can do it because Ive done it.
CARTER. O.K. Thank you very much, gentlemen.
And now it is time to give the candidates an opportunity, a chance, to ask a question of their opponent. They will be limited
CARTER. And now it is time to give the candidates an opportunity, a chance to ask a question of their opponent. They will be limited to 90 seconds and there will be no rebuttals. And so we begin with you, Mr. Tom Suozzi.
SUOZZI. Eliot, Ive said very clearly that youre not the right governor for the State of New York right now because you dont have experience as a chief executive. Ive also said that youre much too entangled in the insider culture that exists in Albany and have never used your public integrity unit to go after government corruption in New York State government.
Can you please tell me, Mr. Spitzer Eliot why you believe I wouldnt be a good governor for the State of New York?
SPITZER. Well, Tom, here is one important distinction between us. Im not going to delineate why I dont think youd be a good governor. I dont believe in that sort of politics. I will respond to some of the points you made that are, unfortunately, just flat-out false. But Im not going to say anything negative about you. And well get to that issue in a bit a bit later. I created the public integrity
SUOZZI. This is the negative part a bit later?
SPITZER. I will I will now, the things you have said about me, Tom. I created the public integrity unit. I got enormous push-back from D.A.s around the state who said, You cant do it. I invoked a statute the Tweed Law that hadnt been used for about 100 years and said we will pursue government corruption. We did it with sheriffs offices, public authorities. Alan Hevesi and I have proposed a raft of legislative bills to change the authorities. I am the one who said, five years ago, the public authorities are to state government what the off-balance-sheet partnerships were to Enron. I was called the crusader of the year by Time magazine, not because Im a voice of the status quo. I was called the best public servant in the nation by Readers Digest not because Im a voice of the status quo. I speak to reform; I speak to ethics; I speak to values; I speak to the moral vision of the great state of New York.
CARTER. O.K. Mr. theres no rebuttal on the question.
SUOZZI. Specifically, Mr. Spitzer, its not me. It was The New York Times in 2004 that said very clearly you took your energies and went after Wall Street and the insurance industry and you did not bring the same vigor toward the ills of Albany and state government. We have the most dysfunctional legislature in the United States of America. More legislators in New York state government have been indicted in the past three years than have lost their elections at the polling booth. You have not you have not, during your time in office, gone after the broken, dysfunctional system that exists in New York state government despite your pledge to do so when you first ran for attorney general.
SPITZER. Tom, again, Tom, as as as the great Senator Pat Moynihan said, We are all entitled to our own opinions; were not entitled to our own facts. Tom, youre simply wrong. We have made the cases we have made the cases against authorities, elected officials, non-elected officials, authorities. When I took on NYRA, one of the most powerful authorities on Albany the New York Racing Authority I was told by the chairman, who called me and said we indicted 21 people He called me and he said, Eliot, you are on a witch hunt something Ive heard in every context when we rattled the cage of the system. And I said back to him: This isnt Salem; we found witches. And we convicted 20 of those 21, the 21st person, unfortunately, died before trial. We win those cases. We bring them. We uncovered the fraud and abuse in government.
CARTER. O.K. Mr. Suozzi, I have to step in.
SUOZZI. Ive got to point out, though
CARTER. Mr. Suozzi.
SUOZZI. You went after the tellers in the betting cages; you didnt go after the power brokers in Albany.
CARTER. Mr. Suozzi, you can address it during your response. Mr. Suozzi. Mr. Suozzi, thank you very much. Mr. Spitzer, it is time for your question.
SPITZER. Tom, you have said you said, when you got into this race, I have nothing against Eliot Spitzer; I wont knock him down in this campaign. He deserves the reputation that he enjoys. Hes done a great job as attorney general. And then, since then, youve given only two substantive speeches. Every day theres been another press release which has personal vitriol. Eighty percent of them have nothing but venom directed toward me, toward my family. You know, youve compared me to all sorts of things. You called me King George. You said standing up to me was like fighting tyranny. Last time I checked, Tom, we hadnt taxed any of your tea. I dont understand. What happened to the notion of an affirmative campaign so we could talk about education, housing, transportation, the issues that matter to the public?
SUOZZI. Eliot, the Eliot, if you recall, you didnt bring up the substantive issue of property taxes until I confronted you at the Mineola train station. You have refused throughout this campaign to give specific details as to how youll pay for the very sunny promises youve made. Youve promised that youll spend over $20 billion in new transportation projects. Youve promised over a billion dollars in new scientific research. You told the environmental community that youll put more money into the environmental program. You told the state workers that youll hire more public employees. You told people after our confrontation that you would reduce peoples property taxes. Youve told us youll fully fund the schools even though you took the position you took on the C.F.E. case. But you have not given specific details as to how youll pay for these multibillion-dollar proposals that youve made. So I know that you may say that thats personal vitriol. But this is the United States of America. And I would like to debate you on substantive issues in this type of forum every time we get the opportunity. Weve been invited in nine debates and I have agreed to every single one of those debates. And if youll debate me on the issues, Ill meet you any place, any time, to talk about one debate about property taxes, one debate about housing, one debate about schools and one debate about jobs upstate New York. So we can discuss in detail our different ideas we have to solve the problems for the people of the State of New York.
SPITZER. Dominic, am I permitted here?
CARTER. Mr. Spitzer.
SPITZER. Dominic, if I might be permitted a quick rebuttal here. First, Tom, I didnt consider that a confrontation at the train station; that was just a warm embrace you gave me. You wouldnt let go.
SUOZZI. Im very nice. Yes.
SPITZER. Second, let me be very clear. Ive been talking about property taxes since the first day of this campaign. I have a $6 billion plan that is more specific than yours. In fact, you havent yet explained how the money will be delivered to folks, where it goes. The numbers dont add up. I have explained how we will pay for it. The controller and I Alan Hevesi the most meticulous voice for public and fiscal restraint in the state and I have an $11 billion tax excuse me, budget cut proposal that is detailed and is conservative, overwhelms the $6 billion property tax cut, leaves us 5 billion. And, Tom, again to quote Senator Moynihan, youre not entitled to your own facts. Youre simply way off base with the transportation proposals. And again you havent proposed anything about transportation except a tax on the L.I.E. Our transportation proposals are fully funded through 2009. Our housing program that Ive laid out is funded. We have paid for what we are going to do.
CARTER. Thank you, Mr. Spitzer. Quickly, Mr. Suozzi.
SUOZZI. Mr. Spitzer, as Ive said before, if your property tax plan was a Wall Street firm, you would have indicted it already. The reality is the reality is is that you propose you propose in your property tax plan
SPITZER. Wouldnt that be one case youd actually support against Wall Street, Tom?
SUOZZI. Your property tax plan in your property tax plan, youve proposed to get 500-some-odd million dollars from the bigger better bottle bill, which you dont point out the fact that the law has not been passed for the past four years and that youve previously pledged those same $500 million to the environmental community to pay for environmental programs. In addition, in your plan you rely on going after Medicaid fraud. As the attorney general of the State of New York, you have 300 employees and you have not gone after Medicaid fraud with the vigor that you should have because its the most expensive program in the state.
CARTER. O.K. I have to step in. In the interest of time, we have to move on. And before we go back to our panel, I would like to ask another question of both of you. A breaking story in terms of it exists as of right now, in Queens, started earlier this week 100,000 people with no power. The agency in charge, Con Ed. But this is a situation that really could affect any city in this state. Mr. Spitzer, you issued a report on Con Ed for the 1999 blackout in Washington Heights.
Did you do any follow-up after this report that was somewhat critical? What happened? And also, do you agree with New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, that Con Ed C.E.O. Kevin Burke deserves praise? Or have you lost confidence in Burke should he go?
SPITZER. Let me answer sequentially. The report we put out in 1999, which was a remarkably thorough report with respect to both Washington Heights and the Inwood blackout, said to Con Ed: here are the specific steps you have to take to address the distribution system failures, the transformers, the overheating, the potential for another blackout that exists right now. That was 1999.
We have followed up with Con Ed and said: What have you done? The reason I want to be governor is because the governor controls an agency called the Public Service Commission. I dont. I cant. We have argued with the P.S.C. about what they have not done to enforce our recommendations. The Public Service Commission could have and should have enforced our recommendations. Had they done so then theres a very real possibility this blackout would not have occurred.
We put out a report after the 2003 blackout as well, and made other recommendations. And we said to the P.S.C. then: You are failing in your duty to the public to ensure investment in the transmission system, in the grid. These are technical issues, but this is what a governor should do. And this is why I want to be governor, because there are answers but they have not been implemented.
Now, do I share my good friend Mike Bloombergs view about the C.E.O. of Con Ed? Absolutely not. I was stunned that he said it. I was stunned that he said it.
Now, I think we need to dig very deeply and develop the record, figure out where the breakdowns were, and make sure people are held accountable. It will happen. Its got to happen. But the failures are two-fold. Both Con Eds for failure to address these issues that were highlighted for them years ago, and the Public Service Commission, which is directly controlled by the governor of the State of New York.
Q. So Mr. Spitzer, for the record, youre saying you disagree with Mayor Bloombergs praise? And you didnt answer the question of whether or not Mr. Burke should go.
SPITZER. How many people should go depends upon the record that we will develop over the next few weeks and months. Many people will go and should go. We dont know who. We dont know how far down. As a prosecutor I do not believe in jumping to conclusions until we see the
Q. What do you mean, many people will go? I dont understand the response.
SPITZER. Because the failure of Con Ed clearly runs very deep. In 1999 we gave them a report which said here are the specific steps you must take. Here are the measures that are important to ensure that there will not be additional blackouts. They failed to implement them. How many people, including the C.E.O., subordinate to the C.E.O., are responsible for that failure? How many people dissembled, lied, misrepresented to the public? We will have to find out. Those are decisions and issues we will dig into. Clearly, the failure was enormous. The pain and agony in Queens to thousands and thousands of individuals and businesses is enormous. And this is a tragedy.
Q. Thank you. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. Let me first say that my heart goes out to the families in Queens. There are a lot of news stories but they dont really tell the whole story about how people are really suffering. There are a lot of senior citizens that are in a lot of trouble. There are a lot of businesses that are going to lose their livelihood because of this. There are a lot of people that are really hurting because of this blackout.
As the county executive of Nassau County, as the mayor of Glen Cove, Ive dealt with these situations with our local power authority, the Long Island Power Authority. And each instance when there was a major blackout like this I would actually go to the emergency operations center and keep an eye on what was actually transpiring at the utility and coordinate with them. Id provide them with help from our public works department, from our police department, from our health department. Wed put them in touch with any resource we could to try and coordinate together.
This is a big difference, again, between Eliot and I. Eliot talks about a report that he wrote. Well, theres an old expression that Italians use my father was born in Italy: Guarde lei mani, non ascoltare la bocca which means watch the hands, dont listen to the mouth.
Its easy to write reports and say Im going to do this and Im going to do that. Ive addressed these type of problems throughout my career as a chief executive as the mayor of the City of Glen Cove and as the county executive of Nassau County to try and address problems like this. Im in no position whatsoever to second-guess Mayor Bloomberg, whos on the ground, whos dealing with the people at Con Ed to find out whats going on. Because I trust his judgment as a chief executive. Theres no question that people have been hurt very seriously. Theres no question that Con Ed should have done a better job. But Im not going to second-guess the mayor and say that he was wrong.
Q. O.K. Thank you, Mr. Suozzi and Mr. Spitzer.
SPITZER[?]. Theres no rebuttal.
Q. O.K. Thank you. We now go to our second round of questions. We have time for two questions. Well start with Sandra Endo.
Q. Thank you so much, Dominic. Mr. Suozzi, we all know tonight that were a few blocks from ground zero here at Pace University. And theres another road block in terms of the rebuilding at the site. Now insurance companies may not pay billions of dollars needed for the site because the Port Authority is taking over some of the development from leaseholder Larry Silverstein. What would you do to resolve this situation? And why do you think youre more qualified than Eliot Spitzer to oversee development there?
SUOZZI. You know, there are so many people in this city, there are so many people in this state and this nation and the world that are waiting for ground zero to move forward. And its a tragedy that its taken as long as it has.
I believe that Im more qualified to address this issue because of my experience as a C.E.O., as a manager, as a county executive, as a mayor, as a C.P.A. and a lawyer as well. Ive built buildings nothing on this scale obviously. Ive overseen development projects. Ive brought together all the varied resources and brought the people together into the room to negotiate the differences to resolve problems to make things happen. Again, I can do it because Ive done it.
Youre not going to be able to summon the insurance company in with a subpoena. Youre not going to be able to summon in the different players with a lawsuit. Youre going to have to bring the players together and find out what their different interests are so you can hold them accountable for what theyre responsible for. I will build the Freedom Tower. Im not going to second-guess the buildings construction. I believe that too many people in this state and in the country and in the world are relying on us to get it done. And I believe that my background and experience as a chief executive makes me better equipped to get it done than Eliot.
Q. You said youre used to bringing people together to get resolutions done. How do you see yourself working with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver if you continue to criticize him on the campaign trail?
SUOZZI. You know, I started my Fix Albany campaign, talking about how dysfunctional Albany was. And I said I have to defeat a Democrat in the Assembly and a Republican in the State Senate because both parties are responsible for the dysfunction that exists in Albany. And it was based upon that People said to me at the time: How are you going to get anything done in Albany if youre fighting with Shelly Silver? How are you going to get anything done if youre fighting with Joe Bruno? But it was after my victories that I achieved in those campaigns and I became the president of the New York State Accounting Executives Association where I brought together Republicans and Democrats, upstate and downstate, urban, suburban and rural, executives together to meet with Shelly Silver and Joe Bruno and the governor to get us a cap on the growth of Medicaid, which is one of the biggest factors that have stopped the growth in property taxes at counties throughout the state over the past year. So I have a proven You know, Ill fight when I have to fight.
Q. You think hes really going to work with you?
SUOZZI. Listen, if Im elected governor of New York State itll send the clearest message to every single politician in the state that business as usual is over. Because Suozzi got elected Because Suozzi got elected without the help of the lobbyists, without the help of the politicians, without the help of the insiders, and went directly to the people. Itll show the people that government can work. And again, I can do it because Ive done it. Everything I had in my agenda to get accomplished in Albany I got accomplished by doing the Fix Albany campaign. We have our first Empire Zone weve ever had. We got a cap on the growth of Medicaid. And we got the Sewer and Storm Water Authority done. I can do it because Ive done it.
Q. Thank you. Mr. Spitzer, whats your solution to resolving this battle right now involving the insurers? And will you abide by all the agreements Governor Pataki has made in terms of redeveloping at that area?
SPITZER. Well, first let me just state up front we dont know what those agreements are. And that is part of the problem. There has been absolutely no transparency
Q. Well are you on board with the blueprint right now and the ratio of commercial and residential
SPITZER. Well the blueprint itself is contingent upon lease agreements being entered into by September, which is a contingency to the Freedom Tower being constructed. Nobody knows if that will or will not happen. So the economic viability of that building is very much in doubt.
Just today the L.M.D.C. was disbanded or plans to have it disbanded were announced. The L.M.D.C. was supposed to be the preeminent decision-making entity with respect to ground zero.
And my office is there. My office is one block away. I was there on that horrific day. We all lost friends, colleagues. We know what the tragedy was. And today when I look out the window of my office I see ground zero. And you know what I see? Nothing happening. If I look one block beyond that I see a construction site. A private entitys building. I see cranes, jackhammers, pile-drivers. There is a problem with the state government. And when there were press releases that were sent out a few months ago saying the governor had announced that a senior aide would now be in charge, there will be no such press release if Im elected governor. And the reason is very simple: I will personally be in charge. I will make sure we get that redevelopment done. I know how to do it. The insurance companies will pay. They will be obligated to pay. And we will get that development done.
Q. Thank you. In the interest of time, just a quick follow-up. You said a lot of the economics are not clear right now determined on leases that have to be signed by the end of the year. Do you agree with Mayor Bloomberg and your opponent that more residential units should be placed in that area?
SPITZER. I think right now where things stand is that, again to get technical, towers 2, 3 and 4 it is agreed should be commercial. The quantum, the quantity of retail space is very large and is agreed upon. Tower 5 will be a combination of condo-hotel-residential. And then the Freedom Tower is what is up in the air, depending upon whether the economic viability is established. And if you listen to Tony Kosha[SP?], if you listen to those at the Port Authority who are speaking about this, you will hear them say the same thing: We dont yet know whether those leases will be executed; if theyre not, then we have to reconsider that issue.
Q. O.K. Thank you very much.
Q. Thank you very much, Sandra. And now we turn to the final question of the night, is from my colleague, Brian Lehrer.
Q. Thank you, Dominic. Mr. Spitzer, I believe you referred tonight to an $11-billion tax cut plan.
SPITZER. An $11-billion budget savings.
Q. I believe youve referred in the past to an $11-billion plan to fund the public schools in New York City, in addition, to satisfy the campaign for fiscal equity ruling. I dont think youve gotten specific about how. So you talk about $11 billion in budget reductions to fund that
SPITZER. Thats correct. Thats correct.
Q. I understand that now. But can you get specific and tell us what you will cut or how you will save in order to spend that extra $11 billion on New York City.
SPITZER. I think theres a little bit of confusion. The $11-billion budget savings is what Alan Hevesi, the comptroller, and I proposed. And it is detailed with great specificity. Some of it comes from the way we handle the states investments, which are right now to a certain extent spread among many different agencies. We can increase those returns. We will do it. Some of it has to do with how we handle non-personal expenditures everything from buying pencils to information technology. We will do it. Some of it has to do with the way we run the authorities. They have not implemented some of the very smart things the comptroller has suggested. There are hundreds of millions of dollars per year in savings in health care that we will implement. So that totals 11 billion over three years. Six billion of that 11 is dedicated to the property tax cut, that Ive explained in great detail, focused on the middle-class taxpayers who need it across the State of New York, and the renters in New York City who also pay those taxes through their rent. We will do that. That leaves $5 billion which we can use to certainly make the first of the sequence of installments on C.F.E. The C.F.E. payment, the capital piece, has been paid through the bonding that the state legislature approved last year. The operating costs we will pay both through that $5 billion and through increased revenue coming from the V.L.T.s and other revenue generators that derive from casino gambling.
SPITZER. Overall? Yes.
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, do you think Hillary Clinton will run for president?
SUOZZI. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, an issue as it relates to the tri-state area of New York City, if MTA chairman, Peter Kalikow, does not resign, will you try to force him out?
SPITZER. Absolutely.
Q. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, have you ever voted for a Republican?
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Mr. Spitzer?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, should the state close Indian Point Nuclear Plant?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. Yes.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, should the Nets arena project in Brooklyn be allowed to take anyones property through eminent domain?
SUOZZI. Thats a very tough question. Ill say no under the current circumstances.
Q. Yes or no.
SUOZZI. No.
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, statewide, is fingerprinting for welfare recipients a good idea?
SPITZER. No.
SUOZZI. No. Absolutely not.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, can you achieve universal health care in the state again, universal health care in the state if you are elected governor?
SUOZZI. You want a yet or no for that?
Q. Yes or no.
SUOZZI. I cant say Ill try?
Q. Yes or no.
SUOZZI. Could I say
Q. Yes or no.
SUOZZI. Uh
Q. Yes or no, Mr. Suozzi.
SPITZER. You want a lifeline?
SUOZZI. Ill try. I cant answer that.
Q. Yes or no, Mr. Suozzi.
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Mr. Spitzer?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer
SUOZZI. Now you have to add another $10 billion to his proposals.
Q. O.K. Mr. Spitzer, would you strongly push for the reimplementation of a commuter tax for New York City?
SPITZER. No.
Q. You would not.
SPITZER. No.
Q. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Were almost done, gentlemen. Mr. Suozzi, have you ever gambled at a casino?
SUOZZI. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, do you think students should be allowed to have cell phones in schools?
SPITZER. Yes.
Q. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. Yes.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, should Washington set a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq?
SUOZZI. No.
SPITZER. No.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, is building a Second Avenue subway a higher priority than bringing the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Terminal?
SPITZER. No, theyre of equal priority.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, yes or no.
SPITZER. Dominic, theyre of equal priority.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, there are rules, yes or no.
SPITZER. The answer is no, its not a higher priority.
Q. O.K. Yes or no.
SPITZER. No.
Q. O.K. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. No.
Q. Mr. Suozzi, should New York City be given control over the New York City transit system?
SUOZZI. No.
SPITZER. No.
Q. O.K. One last question, gentlemen, and Mr. Spitzer, its on you. Do you believe in parental notification when it comes to a minor seeking an abortion?
SPITZER. The current law is appropriate, but the answer is no.
Q. Mr. Spitzer, the answer is?
SPITZER. No. Because the current law is appropriate.
Q. The answer is no.
SPITZER. Thats correct.
Q. O.K. Mr. Suozzi?
SUOZZI. No.
Q. O.K. We thank you very much, gentlemen, for taking part in the lightning round. And so as we close this debate tonight Im going to ask you to please try to keep your closing remarks as short as possible because we have gone over the time period. Mr. Tom Suozzi, the county executive of Nassau County.
CARTER. Mr. Tom Suozzi, the county executive of Nassau County.
SUOZZI. I think tonight people have started to hear some of the real differences between Eliot and I. But theres so much more we need to explore. And I hope that Eliot will agree to debate me in some of the broadcast debates and other cable debates that have been scheduled throughout the rest of the state of New York.
There are real differences between he and I.
There is a clear choice in this race. And a one-hour debate should not determine whos going to be the governor for the next four years.
I have a proven record as a chief executive. Ive proven that I can make government work for people. Ive proven that I can make it more affordable. Ive proven that I can provide better services to people by managing government well.
We cant forget that governments are multibillion-dollar enterprise. If New York State was a government if New York state government was a business, it would be a $113 billion business with 191,000 employees and itd be on the brink of bankruptcy.
The management team has been more concerned about keeping their jobs than doing their jobs. If New York State was a Wall Street firm, Mr. Spitzer would have indicted them already.
But the reality is is that in the past seven-and-a-half years, he has not taken on the state government; hes focused all of his energy outside of government, on Wall Street and the insurance industry and the record industry.
CARTER. Thank you, Mr. Suozzi.
And now, the current attorney general of New York State, Mr. Eliot Spitzer.
SPITZER. Dominic, thank you. Tom, thank you for participating.
Let me just pick up on something you said. Im not trying to indict state government; Im trying to take it over. Were trying to reform it. Were going to reform it. Were going to reform it. Were going to make it work for the people of the State of New York. That is what Ive done as attorney general. That is why Time magazine called me crusader of the year. That is what we have done in every industry whether its private, public, not for profit. We have found problems; we have rooted them out. We have reformed.
That is what is necessary.
Nobody is a more fervent reformer than I. Ive never been elected to a job other than attorney general. Ive not been a career politician. Ive been dedicated to making the peoples voices heard, restoring the ethics, the values, the moral vision of this great state to government. That is what we have done for seven-and-a-half years. That is what I would like to continue to do.
I have the deep-seated optimism and sense of hope that New York State can be restored to what it once was that beacon of the aspirations for all who are here and who want to come here.
All we need is the desire, the energy to do it.
I ask the voters of this state to join me in that effort. It will be a great day on Jan. 1 when we begin.
Thank you very much.
CARTER. And we thank you very much, Mr. Spitzer, as well as as Mr. Suozzi. Thank you very much, candidates, for joining us tonight. That concludes this debate. On behalf of NY1, NY1 Noticias, Capital News Nine, R News, News 10 Now and WNYC Radio as well as News 12, Id like to thank the candidates tonight for attempting to answer all of our questions. And of course we would like to thank Pace University and its president, David Caputo, for allowing us for use of their facilities here.
Again, thank you and good night.