BOLTON LANDING - Republican John Faso and Democratic maverick Tom Suozzi said Monday that too many New Yorkers have the impression that Eliot Spitzer has a lock on being elected governor.

But the Democratic attorney general, with big leads in fundraising and in the polls, can be beaten, the two told a conference hosted by the New York State Broadcasters Association.

“I know many out there have said there's a candidate who all he has to do is send out engraved invitations to his inauguration and he's going to be in office,” Faso said.

But Faso, a former state Assembly minority leader, said this fall's election will turn on economic issues and the sorry state of New York's tax climate.

“When people realize that Eliot Spitzer has made billions (of dollars worth) of promises for new spending and new borrowing, and that inevitably Eliot Spitzer's election will require him to raise taxes, they will not vote for him,” Faso told the broadcasters, meeting at the posh Sagamore resort on the shores of Lake George.

While Faso has repeatedly said a Spitzer win will mean tax increases, the Spitzer camp has said that is not true and that he has plans to save enough money by cutting waste and some state spending programs to pay for his ambitious plans to increase spending on education and some health programs.

Spitzer spokeswoman Christine Anderson said Monday the Democrat is not taking victory for granted and repeated that “his plan to provide meaningful property tax relief to the middle class is fiscally responsible because its fully funded with spending cuts.”

Faso, who narrowly lost the state comptroller's race in 2002, said that while he expected to be outspent in the election by Spitzer, the gap would be manageable.

“I'm working very hard every day to raise that money, so I can turn it all over to you after Labor Day,” Faso joked.

The broadcasters stand to benefit from the heavy political advertising campaign that has already been begun by Spitzer, who has been running TV ads statewide for more than a month.

During his often technical public policy speech, Faso laid out a lengthy menu of tax cut proposals that include getting rid of taxes on tractor trailer trucks and eliminating the state's estate tax.

Suozzi, hoping to force Spitzer into a Sept. 12 Democratic primary was more animated, but had much the same message as Faso - New York is in bad shape, can be fixed, but Spitzer isn't the man for the job.

“New York state government is broken, it's dysfunctional, it's rotten to the core,” Nassau County's elected executive said.

Comparing state government to a troubled corporation, Suozzi said Spitzer, as attorney general for more than seven years, “was sitting on the board of directors.”

Nonetheless, Suozzi acknowledged he had a very uphill fight to beat Spitzer.

“All the Democratic leaders are trying to get me out. Everything is being presented as though this race is inevitable,” Suozzi told the broadcasters. “One of the jobs I have is to convince you this race is winnable for me and that it's not inevitable.”

Later, talking to reporters, Suozzi said he had to do a better job getting the news media to listen to his message and convey it to voters.

Suozzi also said he had to excite moderate-to-conservative Democrats who don't normally vote in party primaries.

Those races tend to be dominated by liberal Democrats who favor Spitzer.

“If the same 700,000 Democrats vote, I lose this election,” Suozzi said.

Spitzer was invited to address the broadcasters, but didn't take them up on the invitation, said Joseph Reilly, president of the association.

The state AFL-CIO announced a news conference for Wednesday at which the union group planned to endorse Spitzer's candidacy.