News Analysis

Spitzer’s reign: how will Sullivan County make out?

By FRITZ MAYER

NEW YORK STATE — While campaigning to become the next governor of New York, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer was fond of saying, “you cannot change the world by whispering.” He was also fond of invoking the legacy of Governor Dewitt Clinton, who in the early 1800s, and in spite of ridicule from many of his contemporaries, pushed ahead with the creation of the Erie Canal and transformed the state and the nation.

Spitzer is calling for just such an effort in his attempt to stem the outflow of residents and businesses from New York State, and remake the government in Albany as one that is more responsive to the needs of residents and less responsive to special interests.

But what will the reign of the new governor mean for Sullivan County?

In two issues that have great significance here, Spitzer has already made his intentions clear. On the matter of the 190-mile power line proposed by New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI), Spitzer has said the project is already “dead” because too many people are opposed to it. His opposition, however, does not guarantee that NYRI won’t try an end run around the state, by getting permission for the project from federal officials, which could trump any state decision on the project.

On the matter of casinos, Spitzer said in a televised debate on October 12 that he is opposed to out-of-state tribes opening casinos in New York. But a spokesman later explained that out-of-state did not mean tribes, such as the Stockbridge Munsee tribe, the Oneida tribe or the Seneca Cayuga tribe, all of whom have no presence in the state now but have historic tribes land claims in the state. All three tribes have been active in trying to open a casino in the Catskills. The Mohawk tribe, which is located in New York State and Canada, is furthest along in an attempt to open a casino at Monticello Raceway in Monticello. In an interview with the Times Herald Record on October 31, Spitzer said that he favored the opening of one or two casinos in Sullivan County, but he would not specifically say he would approve the Mohawk casino if that is approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Another matter that will be of interest to county lawmakers is the status of prisoners in New York State. On a prisoners’ rights web site, www.betterballotsny.org, Spitzer wrote, “for the purposes of drawing legislative districts in New York state, prisoners should be classified as residents of their home communities rather than residents of the area where they are incarcerated.” According to John Faso, Spitzer’s opponent in the election, that would amount to moving political power from upstate New York, to downstate and New York City. Moreover, Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters told the Associated Press that a loss of prisoners from local census counts could affect federal funding for communities with prisons. There are two state prisons in Sullivan County, with a population of more than 1,000 prisoners.

On another matter, lawmakers in Sullivan and other New York counties have been proclaiming that local governments are seriously impacted by the high cost of Medicaid. One of Spitzer’s campaign promises is to bring down the cost by aggressively attacking fraud and reducing the cost of prescription drugs for the program.

Will this work?

County legislative chairman Chris Cunningham said it’s not a bad way to attack it, but Spitzer’s plan for Medicaid does not address an important facet of the state’s program: New York is one of only two states in which counties are asked to pay a portion of Medicaid costs, which puts local lawmakers at a disadvantage. On the same topic, Legislator Leni Binder, who is a Republican, said attacking fraud and waste is fine, if the county gets funds for the fraud investigation. She said because the state government has cut positions, there are fewer people to police the system, and Medicaid employees at the county level are already under heavy workloads.

On another issue of vital interest to county lawmakers is increasing property taxes. To reduce the property tax burden, Spitzer has promised to increase refunds under the School Tax Relief (STAR) program to all but the wealthiest two percent of property owners. Again, Cunningham said that is not a bad place to start, but to really get a handle on property taxes, the state has to address the soaring cost of education, which contributes greatly to real estate tax burdens. Binder agreed that the cost of education must be addressed, perhaps through a funding change from a property tax to an income tax, which has been a topic of discussion at county meetings.

Spitzer will be going into office with a very high profile, and with what many see as a mandate for reform. In his campaign, he set the bar high for himself.

Will he be able to deliver?

Cunningham said, “He’s an excellent public servant, a real person who believes what he says. Most people believe there will be a new set of priorities in Albany.” Binder, on the other hand, said, “The devil is in the details. I want world peace, no disease and no poverty. I got the idea, now you put it into action.”