ALBANY - In an apparent show of solidarity against Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno met Wednesday and proposed several measures for the final days of the legislative session, including undoing parts of a statewide hospital closings plan.
After alerting reporters and photographers, the two top lawmakers met in a Capitol cafe for a chat over coffee, while the freshman Democratic governor was in Washington State to attend a Democrat's fundraiser. It gave Bruno the opportunity, for the second time Wednesday, to remark to reporters that he didn't realize Spitzer was out of town during the last two weeks of the 2007 legislative session.
“I didn't know that,” said Bruno, the state's top Republican. “Where is he? Seattle?”
“I didn't know that,” Silver, the top Democratic legislator, added. “I knew he wasn't here.”
“He's actually here more than he should be,” Bruno quipped.
Spitzer assured reporters the day before he would working for the state the whole time he was away.
“I'll be gone for a couple hours, but I'm here working 24 hours a day in every possible way,” Spitzer told reporters Tuesday.
Bruno criticized the recent series of public leaders meetings, run by Spitzer, as ineffective. The governor had called the meetings to avoid Albany's notorious closed-door, three-men-in-a-room negotiations, which result in the passing of numerous measures late in the legislative session with little public debate or scrutiny.
“I didn't expect them to be orchestrated the way he orchestrates them,” Bruno said. “There's no give-and-take.”
“I think we both need to be reminding him there are 212 legislators and one executive,” Bruno said.
Silver agreed.
Spitzer said the meetings have forced many issues that have long languished in Albany to be “poised for resolution.”
At a public leaders meeting scheduled for Thursday, law makers will try to reach deals on a number of issues.
But the appearance by Silver and Bruno, joking and noting their agreement on broad issues, was reminiscent of their occasional meetings late in the sessions under former Republican Gov. George Pataki. In 2003, the Senate and Assembly joined forces to pass measures and then override Pataki's vetoes 119 times. The difference this time is that the Senate's Democratic minority, allied with Spitzer, can stop an override in the Senate. No Democratic senator was present at the coffee chat Wednesday.
Bruno and Silver suggested changing Spitzer's leader's meeting agenda for Thursday.
Republican Sen. Hugh Farley of Schenectady County introduced a bill Wednesday supported by Bruno to exempt a small, women-only hospital in Farley's district, Bellevue Women's Hospital, from the statewide hospital restructuring plan worked out by a special panel called the Berger Commission late last year. The commission's recommendations mirror Spitzer's plan to restructure and cut the cost of health care in New York, closing underused hospitals and wings.
But the recommendations have been met with anger in legislative districts, where hospitals are often the biggest employer run by some of the most powerful local figures.
“I think we need an overall discussion with the health commissioner,” Silver said. “It's a lot more than Bellevue Hospital, it's the hospital in Syracuse, the hospitals in Buffalo, and the few around the state that have problems. I think it's time to sit down with the health commissioner, and map out a plan and modify Berger.”
“Maybe it's a topic of a leaders' meeting,” Silver said.
“I have asked him to put it on the agenda a number of times and it never appears,” Bruno said.
Spitzer has upheld the authority of the commission.
“The Berger Commission report became law last December and our job now is to implement those determinations in a way that is smart, reasoned, thoughtful to the surrounding community,” Spitzer said Tuesday. “But all of those recommendations should be enacted, will be enacted.”
Bruno and Silver noted they both had disagreements on some issues Spitzer had said last week were near agreement. Among them is reforming the pro-union Wick's law that critics say drives up the cost of public projects.
Bruno also said he's concerned with Spitzer's control of a panel trying to award racing and gaming franchises for the next 20 years after the New York Racing Association franchise ends Dec. 31.
A choice and several new racing laws would have to be approved by the Legislature.
“He has total control of the committee,” Bruno complained. “There isn't anything that's going to happen without the Legislature acting.”
Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp had no comment.
“I didn't know that,” said Bruno, the state's top Republican. “Where is he? Seattle?”
“I didn't know that,” Silver, the top Democratic legislator, added. “I knew he wasn't here.”
“He's actually here more than he should be,” Bruno quipped.
Spitzer assured reporters the day before he would working for the state the whole time he was away.
“I'll be gone for a couple hours, but I'm here working 24 hours a day in every possible way,” Spitzer told reporters Tuesday.
Bruno criticized the recent series of public leaders meetings, run by Spitzer, as ineffective. The governor had called the meetings to avoid Albany's notorious closed-door, three-men-in-a-room negotiations, which result in the passing of numerous measures late in the legislative session with little public debate or scrutiny.
“I didn't expect them to be orchestrated the way he orchestrates them,” Bruno said. “There's no give-and-take.”
“I think we both need to be reminding him there are 212 legislators and one executive,” Bruno said.
Silver agreed.
Spitzer said the meetings have forced many issues that have long languished in Albany to be “poised for resolution.”
At a public leaders meeting scheduled for Thursday, law makers will try to reach deals on a number of issues.
But the appearance by Silver and Bruno, joking and noting their agreement on broad issues, was reminiscent of their occasional meetings late in the sessions under former Republican Gov. George Pataki. In 2003, the Senate and Assembly joined forces to pass measures and then override Pataki's vetoes 119 times. The difference this time is that the Senate's Democratic minority, allied with Spitzer, can stop an override in the Senate. No Democratic senator was present at the coffee chat Wednesday.
Bruno and Silver suggested changing Spitzer's leader's meeting agenda for Thursday.
Republican Sen. Hugh Farley of Schenectady County introduced a bill Wednesday supported by Bruno to exempt a small, women-only hospital in Farley's district, Bellevue Women's Hospital, from the statewide hospital restructuring plan worked out by a special panel called the Berger Commission late last year. The commission's recommendations mirror Spitzer's plan to restructure and cut the cost of health care in New York, closing underused hospitals and wings.
But the recommendations have been met with anger in legislative districts, where hospitals are often the biggest employer run by some of the most powerful local figures.
“I think we need an overall discussion with the health commissioner,” Silver said. “It's a lot more than Bellevue Hospital, it's the hospital in Syracuse, the hospitals in Buffalo, and the few around the state that have problems. I think it's time to sit down with the health commissioner, and map out a plan and modify Berger.”
“Maybe it's a topic of a leaders' meeting,” Silver said.
“I have asked him to put it on the agenda a number of times and it never appears,” Bruno said.
Spitzer has upheld the authority of the commission.
“The Berger Commission report became law last December and our job now is to implement those determinations in a way that is smart, reasoned, thoughtful to the surrounding community,” Spitzer said Tuesday. “But all of those recommendations should be enacted, will be enacted.”
Bruno and Silver noted they both had disagreements on some issues Spitzer had said last week were near agreement. Among them is reforming the pro-union Wick's law that critics say drives up the cost of public projects.
Bruno also said he's concerned with Spitzer's control of a panel trying to award racing and gaming franchises for the next 20 years after the New York Racing Association franchise ends Dec. 31.
A choice and several new racing laws would have to be approved by the Legislature.
“He has total control of the committee,” Bruno complained. “There isn't anything that's going to happen without the Legislature acting.”
Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp had no comment.
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