I Hate Being Right

Before David Copperfield became an embarrassing parody of himself he was famous for pulling off some amazing illusions, including making objects as big as an elephant, a 747, and the Statue of Liberty vanish before a live audience. Governor Spitzer must have been taking notes, since he just made the $100 million dollar state data center at SUNY-IT disappear.

Spitzer, a Democrat, said his administration is reviewing the Pataki administration's 2006 proposal to construct a $99.5 million data center. That center would have brought 240 state jobs to the area from Albany.

"We are looking at that issue," Spitzer said during a visit with the O-D Editorial Board. "If there is a shift, it will be a shift designed to improve on the economic engine that we put here in Utica. Maybe we can do something better than the data center."

"Day one, everything changes." Not necessarily for the better, apparently.

Spitzer Sez: It's Over

You might have assumed from the four current investigations and pending subpoenas that Troopergate was still rolling along, but you'd be wrong. At least according to Governor Spitzer.

The governor appeared at a Harlem job training center earlier today to talk about his agenda for the working poor (here’s the release), a plan he says will help shrink New York’s income gap and boost the middle class. When a Daily News reporter tried to turn the topic to the scandal, the governor got rather testy, Liz reports over at the Daily Politics. Spitzer suggested the News’ Adam Lisberg re-read the State of the State address (ok, that’s just plain mean) and told him he is “simply not saying anything more on that stuff.”

And to put a fine point on it: “I’ve spoken and answered every question and been totally forthright, so now we’re going back to governing the state.”

As Attorney General Spitzer would have pointed out, answering questions is one thing. Answering questions under oath is another.

Troopergate Troops On

Assemblyman Dave Townsend has an interesting take on Troopergate up at his website.(.doc link)

In a very prescient quote two years ago to the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Spitzer, referring to his investigations during his term as Attorney General famously stated,

“…we have found that the lack of transparency, combined with inadequate disclosure and regulatory oversight, often leads to market fraud…This has led to a crisis of accountability.”

This quote could just as easily apply to him and his staff’s recent actions, since Spitzer’s lack of transparency on this issue has led to what looks like fraud resulting in a crisis of accountability.

Regarding transparency, the governor must answer several questions. First, why did his administration rebut attempts by Attorney General Cuomo to interview Baum and Dopp? Second, as reported in news outlets on Monday, why were two other senior advisers, previously appointed in policy positions, named as special counsel?

Does it have anything to do with the fact that as special counsel, they can refuse any subpoena to testify citing attorney-client privilege?

The governor and Baum have repeatedly refused any knowledge of their staff’s actions. However, in a quote to a Mid-Hudson Valley newspaper last year, a top staffer acknowledged that Baum, as “head of Eliot’s cabinet [in the Attorney General’s office]…nothing happened without his consultation.” This is troubling in two ways. If the governor and his chief of staff do not know what their employees are up to, how can we entrust responsible leadership of the state to them? If he did, what did he know and why is he covering it up?

In fact, as recently as last Thursday, both the disgraced former employees retained criminal counsel. If there is no criminal action, is there need for a criminal lawyer?

Governor Spitzer needs to get out in front of the investigations and release everything now, or he risks dying the death of a thousand cuts as this thing drags on forever. On the bright side, if there's enough bloodletting from both sides maybe we'll see some real ethics reform in state government.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.