Governor Spitzer Outlines Administration's Successes in First Six Months on Job

Related Media

Governor Spitzer

BOLTON LANDING, NY (06/26/2007)(readMedia)-- Speaking at the New York State Broadcasters (NYSBA) 46th annual Executive Conference in Bolton Landing, New York today, NYS Governor Eliot Spitzer outlined some of his administration's most notable successes since taking office in January, as well as spelled out areas of pressing concern moving forward.

In a 30-minute presentation entitled "Unfinished Business," given to more than 400 of the state's most powerful and influential television and radio professionals, Gov. Spitzer made the case his administration has much to be proud of since he took office in January.

Among the educational accomplishments touted in his talk was the doubling of charter school choices across New York. "The more you get alternative models out there, the better," he remarked. "Even if charter schools never have more than a small piece of the market share, they nonetheless provide an alternative example people can look to for learning."

Touching briefly on healthcare, Gov. Spitzer said he is proud that his administration has brought about affordable healthcare coverage for 400,000 uninsured children, while also creating $1 billion in Medicaid savings without cutting benefits.

"We've created a patient-first healthcare system that moves money away from institutions out into the community and covers kids," he remarked.

Gov. Spitzer, who last attended NYSBA's summer conference at The Sagamore in June 1999 as a panelist while serving as New York's attorney general, also emphasized his ongoing commitment to stem cell research, noting that he has already helped secure a $600 million down payment.

"Stem cell research is necessary, not only because it will give us the cures to some of the most difficult diseases we have to deal with over the years, but because it will keep New York state a leader in medical research," he explained.

Despite many of the bright spots in his six months on the job in Albany, Gov. Spitzer pointed out there are many issues where pressing work remains, including: a New Article X that fast tracks clean energy; a Brownfields Law that addresses the current problem of providing tax credits based on construction costs instead of cleanup costs; the need to reform Wicks Law, which has not been updated since 1964 and which has inadequate worker protections; and, the adoption of a Healthy Schools Act, aimed at setting school nutrition standards to combat childhood obesity.

"We are going to pursue the enormous range of issues that our executive authority permits - infrastructure, regulatory authority, and changing policies with education, healthcare and investment," he concluded. "We will now govern and use the capacity of the executive branch to govern the state whether or not the legislature joins us in this pursuit."

For more information, call NYSBA at (518) 456-8888 or go to www.nysbroadcasters.org.

-30-