wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] aubrey w bonnett from new york July 30, 2007 - 10:23AM

  hell no......it is the classic COVERUP....such as that which killed the Nixon and Johnosn Presidencies.....he comes on more like a RICH MONARCH than a coequal EXECUTIVE....his legilative agenda is now compromised...... local 1199 taught him some humility in the hospital closure issue.....

  
  
• [2] chestine from NY July 30, 2007 - 10:38AM

  No he's now in my mind as sleazy a pol as there is. Very disappointed. But better to know now than later, if he has his eyes on the White House.

  
  
• [3] Sharish Zhemanaheaid from Queens July 30, 2007 - 10:46AM

  I'm sure that Spitzer would have accepted the apologies of everyone he decimated.

  
  
• [4] Robert from NYC July 30, 2007 - 10:50AM

  Big sigh! I'm sorry to say ES has disappointed me really badly. I personally don't care that of all people he had Bruno "watched"--the MOST sleazy of all NYS politicians. I'm sure there are lots of things to get him on. But Spitzer should have been more open it he knew he could prove something. That he couldn't he went the wrong way. He also has allowed Joe Bruno to continue his systematic disruption of government that he's been practicing for as long as he's been in a powerful position--and probably longer. The whole thing stinks.

  
  
• [5] david from Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:09AM

  Why exactly is he apologizing?

  If he believed that Bruno was misusing state transportation for GOP activities, why is it not appropriate to investigate that? And if so, who other than the state police would Spitzer use to investigate it?

  
  
• [6] Michael Winslow from Inwood July 30, 2007 - 11:10AM

  Spitzer's apology sucks.

  So No I don't accept it.

  I voted him and thought this guy had integrity.

  He should be fully investigated and someone needs to get to the bottom of this.

  
  
• [7] gin from westchester July 30, 2007 - 11:12AM

  elliot probably knew, but lets dicuss joe bruno, what is he doing up there. drop the matter and look into the joe bruno aspect. he has been in albany way too long and this is just a diversion tactic of the majority. albany is not working and look how long joe bruno has been there. poor joe bruno is frustrated but what about everyone else in NYS.

  Our taxes are so high and where is joe going since his district is Albany anyway..

  Lets put the focus back on joe where it belongs, give elliot some time to get albany cleaned up

  
  
• [8] Dan Brinzac from NYC July 30, 2007 - 11:14AM

  The Governor had no choice but to apologize. While he claims the administration activity was not "illegal" I feel it was unethical. But then again was Bruno's use of State air transportation unethical, considering the coincidence between the fundraising activities and legitimate business at the destination. Maybe they should just drop the issue.

  
  
• [9] Roy Israel from Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:14AM

  Despite the Spitzer administration's malfeasance, we should keep things in perspective. Bruno is under Federal investigation, and his use of state aircraft seems to fall only within the letter of the admittedly vague law at best. Bruno's self-righteous posturing is truly a case of "the pot calling the kettle black."

  
  
• [10] Andrea from Brooklyn July 30, 2007 - 11:17AM

  Yes, I do. I am more concerned about what Bruno and the other state officials did and do and how/if they are spending/wasting our tax dollars. I think, we shouldn't spend all this time and money on debating and investigating this issue and concentrate on how to improve doing business and eliminate corruption in Albany instead.

  
  
• [11] Lucas from NYU Law July 30, 2007 - 11:29AM

  Dicker is factually wrong about atty-client privilege. the atty must be the client's own atty. Working for the governor does not give the lawyer the atty-client privilege. The lawyer must be Spitzer's own lawyer, not just a lawyer for the state. the issue of executive privilege would depend on this state's rules of evidence... whether there is a recognized such privilege from giving evidence and if it exists would apply to all people in the branch that are part of the branch to the extent that a judge would allow. You would not need to be a lawyer, but the executive privilege would give way if the need for evidence outweighs the policy reasons for the exec

  
  
• [12] TCR from New York City July 30, 2007 - 11:29AM

  I don't accept his apology, because I believe that he should be held responsible for any ethical lapse. Determining whether such a lapse has occurred is the job of the Ethics Commission, not Spitzer himself or the readers and editorial board of the New York Times.

  I'm a Democrat and voted for Spitzer. He is now the Governor, however, not the Attorney General, and as such is not empowered to launch sting operations against public officials, even when those public officials have been as obstructive as Bruno.

  
  
• [13] George from Downtown Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:33AM

  I accept it. I also wish he would stop apologizing. Democrats should learn something from Bush.

  If you dont admit your mistakes and just let things drag out the public forgets almost anything.

  Bruno is corrupt anyway.

  I dont agree this is the right way to run a democracy but the Democrats need to start fighting the Republicans on there own terms.

  
  
• [14] RD July 30, 2007 - 11:34AM

  I accept the gov's apology, but I don't think he even really needed to! Anytime any elected official investigates potential violations by government agents/officials, I support them 100%. Keep on roll'n!!!

  
  
• [15] Hal from Crown Heights July 30, 2007 - 11:34AM

  The woman who operates the heliports benefits from more helicopter traffic.

  
  
• [16] Steven Clark from NYC July 30, 2007 - 11:35AM

  1. They need to change the rules.

  2. Spitzer needs to be investigated, it was a non-apology apology. If "We" made mistakes, "We" need to accept the consequences.

  
  
• [17] Mike from Jersey City from Hoboken, NJ July 30, 2007 - 11:36AM

  WRONG QUESTION:

  The real question is whether you believe Governor Spitzer's apology, or whether he continues to lie about his involvement.

  
  
• [18] Victor from Brooklyn July 30, 2007 - 11:39AM

  This issue may be an important ethics issue, but it's masking the larger problem of extreme partisan political positions in NY state that is hindering progress. In the end, Spitzer and Bruno will look bad. They need to get beyond this and start finding new options for working together.

  
  
• [19] RD July 30, 2007 - 11:40AM

  Is it a coincedence that the law has remained vauge b/c the people who benefit/abuse it (the pols) are the very ones who are responsible for changing it?

  
  
• [20] chris from manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:42AM

  What do you think Spitzer would have done had Wall St. written him an apology letter? ;-)

  
  
• [21] JoAnne Lindsley from Montclair, NJ July 30, 2007 - 11:43AM

  Not my governor but if he were, YES.

  I think this is more about who has the upper hand. Bruno using the (served up) opportunity to overblown media coverage and Gov. Spitzer moving too agressively to "clean-up" and rid himself of a road block.

  Too much time on a not so important issue. If it were my state government I'd like to know if the vehicles were mis-used.

  
  
• [22] Michael from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn July 30, 2007 - 11:44AM

  Yes I do. Let's put the focus where it really belongs: a weak, ambiguous set of rules regarding the use of state aircraft. Senator Bruno has probably abused that by doing a few minutes of "state government" business during trips to NYC where more time was spent on political business. Let's not waste more time on the peripheral matters of what Spitzer knew or didn't know. Tighten up the rules and make that all more transparent.

  
  
• [23] Leon from Park Slope July 30, 2007 - 11:45AM

  Overzealousness and administrative inexperience. Otherwise Gov. Spitzer and his merry minions deserve commendations for getting the goods on Air Bruno. Every time this indictment-bound politico takes a state chopper on personal business, he's chopping into state funds and taking the taxpayer for a ride. The prison searchlight belongs on Bruno, not Spitzer; let's not allow the Albany vet to get away.

  
  
• [24] Amy from Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:46AM

  I haven't decided yet; I still have some questions. Like: if the governor's office had to approve requests for helicopter use, why do they need the state police to investigate it rather than just checking their own records? Seems excessive. If approval is just a rubber stamp, *that's* something to look into, & change.

  I'm also wondering how much state business it takes to make one of these trips legit. Is it like the old joke about asking "How's business?" being enough to make a lunch a "business lunch" & therefore tax deductible?

  However, I was glad Spitzer actually said "We made mistakes" & not "Mistakes were made." If nothing else, that's refreshing. It's not enough, but it's worth remarking on.

  
  
• [25] Pamela from New York, NY July 30, 2007 - 11:47AM

  Yes, I accept his apology; this is much ado about nothing. We got much bigger fish to fry...

  
  
• [26] Joseph Spletzer from Glen Cove, NY July 30, 2007 - 11:49AM

  Yes I accept the governor's apology. The current affair is more of the same: fun and games between parties diverting attention and resources from the important issues. I could care less about an ethical qualm between rival parties at this point; I want to see progress made with the tax dollars New Yorkers are spending. If there is a transgression, as far as I am concerned it is minor. I'd like to see this can-do governor take his best shot at improving our state and society. This is the last chance either party will get from me for my vote.

  Love your show Brian,

  Joseph Spletzer

  
  
• [27] Jamie from Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 11:50AM

  I accept it. How many times have we asked that our national government accept some responsibilty or admit to a mistake. Gov. Spitzer, even if he really didn't have any knowledge of the events, is at least trying to make amends for politicizing what should have been a legitimate concern.

  I wish the white house would do at least this much.

  
  
• [28] gregory from bronx July 30, 2007 - 11:51AM

  I don't understand one thing: why is everyone so surprised? The Daily News ran an article one or two years ago on all of the many ways all of our state politicos finagle funds and apply them to semi-legitimate purposes by taking advantage of loopholes in funding laws. The public has always shown an explicit disinterest in politians' morals and ethics until now; it should remain equally non-plussed regardless of whose ethics are being challenged now.

  
  
• [29] Rich from Manhattan July 30, 2007 - 12:02PM

  Leon has it right--see # 23

  and, I think this will be a good learning experience for the new Governor and his aides...after the W administration, our sensitivity to abuse of power has been heightened and we are in a less forgiving state of mind but overreaches will happen, especially in a juiced up rookie group, and I have become a fan of overreaches after the under-reaches of the Clinton administration which became one of the greatest wasted opportunities we have ever seen...until the even more recent wasted opportunity to align with the global community against terror that the W and Cheney brainless un-trust brought us

  
  
• [30] Susan from Brooklyn July 30, 2007 - 12:34PM

  I feel that the situation has been blown out of all proportion. This is just an example of of the kettle calling the pot black. Of politics as usual in Albany.

  Why don't the politicians get on with the people's business.

  
  
• [31] Mark Victor Smith from Astoria, Queens July 30, 2007 - 03:14PM

  I accept the Governor's apology, although I would like to have seen a statement that he did not know about (or did know about, or ordered, or in some way condoned without ordering) his aides' actions.

  Meanwhile, Albany continues to stagnate; the fog of political obfuscation (thick) is generated primarily by two politicians -- Bruno (helicopters) and Silver (IWOGUMA ["I won't give up my automobile"]) -- but by others as well.

  The only way to clean up Albany is to "throw the bums out" I hope someone very rich (Bloomberg?? He certainly has reason...) will spend a lot of it to run many perfectly legal ads criticizing these two and others like them, and call for big changes in the Albany legislature. This is one of the best cases justifying third-party political advertising, and this might just do a lot of good for New York.

  
  
• [32] jim clawson from Brooklyn, NY 11218 July 30, 2007 - 08:55PM

  Pardon my cynicism but "yes" I forgive the Gov. even though he probably knew that something was up. Sen. Bruno has been around for 30 + years, and while Republican George Pataki was in office Sen. Bruno enjoyed many perks. Of this I have no doubt- so much so he became, as all people who have unchecked power, very accustomed to it. In fact he probably thinks it is his right to jump on a plane any old time he pleases. This is the nature of power, and Gov. Spitzer's team was just getting a taste of it when they stepped on Joe's toes.

  So the sparks are flying right now. I just hope that Gov. Spitzer can "connect" with common blokes like me and show some humility. Somehow he has got to do or say something that breaks through the pious noise Sen Bruno is making.

  In short give the "new" Gov. a second chance and a Bronx cheer for the old timer- he's been around too long to be trusted much here.