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05-09-2006, 04:30 PM
Legislator urges Suozzi to pull out of gov race
NEWSDAY STAFF REPORTS
May 9, 2006, 1:41 PM EDT
Nassau Executive Thomas Suozzi today in Albany demanded the departure of top legislative leaders. But as he did, a high-profile Democrat in his home county urged Suozzi to quit his quest for governor.
Speaking at a conference in the state capital, Suozzi declared: "We must demand that the speaker of the New York state Assembly and the majority leader of the New York state Senate be replaced because they have failed to fight for the reforms that we seek."
"With Gov. Pataki on his way out, it is time to show Majority Leader (Joseph) Bruno and Speaker (Sheldon) Silver the door, as well," he told the Reform New York Day of Action Conference at the Empire State Plaza.
"Desperate candidates say desperate things," Silver replied. "He's still trying to cover for his latest guffaw, which was taxing all of his constituents on the Long Island Expressway…(He's) trying to get somewhere. He's getting nowhere in the polls. He is not registering. He spent millions of dollars, and he's now found that maybe you'll pay attention to him and some people will pay attention to him if he says things out of desperation."
Back in Garden City, Legis. Lisanne Altmann urged Suozzi, who trails badly in all polls for the Democratic primary, to give up the statewide race and focus on his job as executive.
"There is a moment in time when your run for governor is in opposition to what you're doing -- what you ought to be doing -- as Nassau County executive, and I think we've reached that place," Altmann (D-Great Neck) said.
She cited two instances in which she said Suozzi's candidacy has come into conflict with his county role. One is his support for congestion pricing on the Long Island Expressway, which provoked criticism when he stated it on Friday.
Another, she said, is his declared support for Pataki's recent budget vetoes that could cost the Nassau University Medical Center up to $30 million annually.
She said she is supporting the likely Democratic nominee, Eliot Spitzer, in the primary, "but this has nothing to do with politics. This is a government problem we've got right now."
Publicly directing her remarks to Suozzi, she said: "You have a primary responsibility to the citizens of Nassau County to do the right thing."
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
NEWSDAY STAFF REPORTS
May 9, 2006, 1:41 PM EDT
Nassau Executive Thomas Suozzi today in Albany demanded the departure of top legislative leaders. But as he did, a high-profile Democrat in his home county urged Suozzi to quit his quest for governor.
Speaking at a conference in the state capital, Suozzi declared: "We must demand that the speaker of the New York state Assembly and the majority leader of the New York state Senate be replaced because they have failed to fight for the reforms that we seek."
"With Gov. Pataki on his way out, it is time to show Majority Leader (Joseph) Bruno and Speaker (Sheldon) Silver the door, as well," he told the Reform New York Day of Action Conference at the Empire State Plaza.
"Desperate candidates say desperate things," Silver replied. "He's still trying to cover for his latest guffaw, which was taxing all of his constituents on the Long Island Expressway…(He's) trying to get somewhere. He's getting nowhere in the polls. He is not registering. He spent millions of dollars, and he's now found that maybe you'll pay attention to him and some people will pay attention to him if he says things out of desperation."
Back in Garden City, Legis. Lisanne Altmann urged Suozzi, who trails badly in all polls for the Democratic primary, to give up the statewide race and focus on his job as executive.
"There is a moment in time when your run for governor is in opposition to what you're doing -- what you ought to be doing -- as Nassau County executive, and I think we've reached that place," Altmann (D-Great Neck) said.
She cited two instances in which she said Suozzi's candidacy has come into conflict with his county role. One is his support for congestion pricing on the Long Island Expressway, which provoked criticism when he stated it on Friday.
Another, she said, is his declared support for Pataki's recent budget vetoes that could cost the Nassau University Medical Center up to $30 million annually.
She said she is supporting the likely Democratic nominee, Eliot Spitzer, in the primary, "but this has nothing to do with politics. This is a government problem we've got right now."
Publicly directing her remarks to Suozzi, she said: "You have a primary responsibility to the citizens of Nassau County to do the right thing."
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.