ALBANY - The country may yet get its best test case for traffic tolls and other measures to curb urban gridlock and global warming. But before New York City got back in the running this week to launch a federal pilot project, state and city negotiators first had to break what many saw as the intractable gridlock in Albany politics.
In this, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a catalyst.
Ninety-six hours of high pressure negotiations pushed by Spitzer ended with Bloomberg landing state approval to pursue his vision for a cleaner, less congested Manhattan and a chance for $500 million in federal funding.
In the process, the Republican-turned-independent helped bring together disparate allies - Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno and Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer. During weeks of unprecedented name calling and power plays, the two state leaders refused to negotiate or meet, except on their own terms.
Although Bruno and Spitzer supported the mayor's “congestion pricing” concept, negotiations with the skeptical Assembly Democrats never started while Bruno was calling Spitzer a spoiled brat and Spitzer said Bruno chose summer vacation over doing the people's business. Calls for investigations of each other's use of state helicopters, Bruno's claim that Spitzer used state police to spy on him, even Spitzer's bouncing of a Bruno staffer from a news conference, were part of feuding that became so heated it raised eyebrows beyond New York.
“Now, now boys,” tsked the headline in The Economist of London. “Even by Albany's standards, their recent feuding has caused new highs, or rather new lows, of dysfunction.”
Although an unofficial truce was floated more than a week ago, no one was buying it after past pledges blew up. Days later, political hit man Roger Stone, the GOP consultant to presidents including Ronald Reagan, was brought in by Bruno to give his narrow majority a pep talk.
But the acrimony eased late this week as negotiations over the Manhattan traffic plan intensified in Spitzer's private office, all sides said. The talks also resulted in agreement on campaign finance reform - a measure Spitzer had most insisted on, but which Bruno had specifically insisted was irrelevant.
Even on that Albany issue, Bloomberg played a role, insiders said. Bloomberg helped get the GOP Senate and the Democrat-led Assembly to make a deal on campaign finance reform, along with commitments by leaders and Spitzer to act later on the Senate GOP's priority of a capital construction plan and a process to raise the salaries of judges and lawmakers, a priority for Assembly and Senate Democrats.
Bruno later said the billionaire mayor, a big campaign contributor, had “been very influential and very successful” in the negotiations
In the end, everyone claimed they won.
Afterward, Spitzer and Bruno didn't exactly share a sappy date-movie line like, “You complete me,” but in Albany's game of tackle politics, where grudges erode slowly and cooperation can by synonymous with caving in, they came close.
“I want to be very clear that we have had complete and active participation by my colleagues,” Spitzer told reporters. “I just spoke to Joe and congratulated him on the successes ... and also for his collegiality and his participation.”
In this statement, the timing was perhaps more revealing than the words: Spitzer let Bruno announce the big deal.
“We made a lot of progress, I would say,” Bruno told reporters. “As a result of continuing discussion we have what we have now, which is a substantial result for the people of this state.”
In this, the public spin seemed to match some of the private sentiment.
“It feels good to get things done,” said Spitzer Communications Director Darren Dopp.
Hours before, while negotiations continued, Bruno was all smiles and in a chatty mood when caught in a Capitol hallway. “Everything's great!” exclaimed Bruno, who isn't shy about saying when it isn't.
The spin is that Albany is embarking on an era of - if not good - better will to break logjams on many issues important to New Yorkers. All sides say it's a beginning, and Spitzer has said that if Bruno is a partner, he will avoid criticism from the executive. But Bruno has made it clear he has a problem trusting Spitzer, who he accuses of campaigning too early and too hard for a Democrat majority in the Senate. The elections are next year.
Skepticism that this is even a beginning of a more placid Albany abounds.
“The political folks in Albany know the winds of reform have been blowing for quite some time,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll. “To make this session look like all the others wasn't going to work ... the current climate wasn't doing anyone any good.”
---
Michael Gormley is the capitol editor for The Associated Press. He can be reached via e-mail at mgormley(at)ap.org.
AP-ES-07-20-07 1458EDT
Ninety-six hours of high pressure negotiations pushed by Spitzer ended with Bloomberg landing state approval to pursue his vision for a cleaner, less congested Manhattan and a chance for $500 million in federal funding.
In the process, the Republican-turned-independent helped bring together disparate allies - Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno and Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer. During weeks of unprecedented name calling and power plays, the two state leaders refused to negotiate or meet, except on their own terms.
Although Bruno and Spitzer supported the mayor's “congestion pricing” concept, negotiations with the skeptical Assembly Democrats never started while Bruno was calling Spitzer a spoiled brat and Spitzer said Bruno chose summer vacation over doing the people's business. Calls for investigations of each other's use of state helicopters, Bruno's claim that Spitzer used state police to spy on him, even Spitzer's bouncing of a Bruno staffer from a news conference, were part of feuding that became so heated it raised eyebrows beyond New York.
“Now, now boys,” tsked the headline in The Economist of London. “Even by Albany's standards, their recent feuding has caused new highs, or rather new lows, of dysfunction.”
Although an unofficial truce was floated more than a week ago, no one was buying it after past pledges blew up. Days later, political hit man Roger Stone, the GOP consultant to presidents including Ronald Reagan, was brought in by Bruno to give his narrow majority a pep talk.
But the acrimony eased late this week as negotiations over the Manhattan traffic plan intensified in Spitzer's private office, all sides said. The talks also resulted in agreement on campaign finance reform - a measure Spitzer had most insisted on, but which Bruno had specifically insisted was irrelevant.
Even on that Albany issue, Bloomberg played a role, insiders said. Bloomberg helped get the GOP Senate and the Democrat-led Assembly to make a deal on campaign finance reform, along with commitments by leaders and Spitzer to act later on the Senate GOP's priority of a capital construction plan and a process to raise the salaries of judges and lawmakers, a priority for Assembly and Senate Democrats.
Bruno later said the billionaire mayor, a big campaign contributor, had “been very influential and very successful” in the negotiations
In the end, everyone claimed they won.
Afterward, Spitzer and Bruno didn't exactly share a sappy date-movie line like, “You complete me,” but in Albany's game of tackle politics, where grudges erode slowly and cooperation can by synonymous with caving in, they came close.
“I want to be very clear that we have had complete and active participation by my colleagues,” Spitzer told reporters. “I just spoke to Joe and congratulated him on the successes ... and also for his collegiality and his participation.”
In this statement, the timing was perhaps more revealing than the words: Spitzer let Bruno announce the big deal.
“We made a lot of progress, I would say,” Bruno told reporters. “As a result of continuing discussion we have what we have now, which is a substantial result for the people of this state.”
In this, the public spin seemed to match some of the private sentiment.
“It feels good to get things done,” said Spitzer Communications Director Darren Dopp.
Hours before, while negotiations continued, Bruno was all smiles and in a chatty mood when caught in a Capitol hallway. “Everything's great!” exclaimed Bruno, who isn't shy about saying when it isn't.
The spin is that Albany is embarking on an era of - if not good - better will to break logjams on many issues important to New Yorkers. All sides say it's a beginning, and Spitzer has said that if Bruno is a partner, he will avoid criticism from the executive. But Bruno has made it clear he has a problem trusting Spitzer, who he accuses of campaigning too early and too hard for a Democrat majority in the Senate. The elections are next year.
Skepticism that this is even a beginning of a more placid Albany abounds.
“The political folks in Albany know the winds of reform have been blowing for quite some time,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll. “To make this session look like all the others wasn't going to work ... the current climate wasn't doing anyone any good.”
---
Michael Gormley is the capitol editor for The Associated Press. He can be reached via e-mail at mgormley(at)ap.org.
AP-ES-07-20-07 1458EDT
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