Island Appearance
Spitzer Promises Better Days for Roosevelt Island

Audience of 200 Finds Candidate Engaging
by Jami Bernard

Eliot Spitzer proved he was The Man at a packed campaign stop here Thursday night, when nearly 200 Islanders gave the State’s Attorney General a standing ovation just for walking into the room.

"I would have been on time but we were waiting for the Tram," he said to wild applause and a hero’s welcome, while deftly displaying the mix of humor and attention to Island concerns that marked his hour-long appearance at the Good Shepherd Community Center, one of the whistle-stops on his campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Spitzer, who has made a name for himself as an Attorney General who is unafraid to take on Wall Street and the big boys while fighting on behalf of the little people, kept his remarks brief and focused on Island issues. He managed, without notes or prepared text, to address several key questions that had been submitted beforehand by the Roosevelt Island Residents Assocation (RIRA), the organization that lobbied to bring him here. Applause and the occasional standing ovation followed each of his assurances that, as Governor, Spitzer would put the best and brightest people in place to run RIOC and to address such issues as preservation of open space, ground leases for residential buildings, and transportation.

Promising "Good People"

Spitzer’s strategy for rejuvenating the Island became clear when he answered a question from Deborah Beck, a resident member of the Board of Directors of RIOC, about whether possible past improprieties would be remedied by enactment of the recent Public Authorites Accountability Act. "The short answer is, I don’t know yet," said Spitzer. "Were there violations of law as such? Or was there simply poor decision making? The remedy for the first is litigation. The remedy for the second is putting better people in charge."

He continued: "I always come back to a very simple rule: Good people with bad process will still get good results. Bad people with good process will still get bad results. The critical issue is who do you put in charge?"

As an example, he cited his policy in hiring lawyers for the Attorney General’s office. "I haven’t asked one of them, ‘Are you a Democrat or a Republican?’ I ask, ‘Can you do the job?’ You don’t run a Tram better or worse based on party affiliation. You run it and you know how to keep it in good repair and how to invest in it and fix it if you understand transportation systems."

"Badgered, Pestered"

Spitzer easily mingled gravity with levity. At one point, he turned to the array of elected officials in attendance who were leaning against a far wall like a police lineup: City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, House Representative Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jose Serrano, State Assemblymember Pete Grannis. "They badgered me, pestered me, kicked me to get out here," Spitzer joked. "I said, ‘You bet! Pick the hottest room, the humidest night, and I’ll be there!’ That’s to prove I’m not just a fair-weather friend!"

The lineup smiled and shuffled feet as if receiving gold stars on a class assignment. Spitzer-boosters all, they covered for his half-hour lateness by giving rousing campaign speeches on his behalf:

Accolades

Serrano: "A huge piece of the puzzle that is blocking us from getting the real changes we need is the person who is in the Governor’s mansion. So this is the final piece, the huge piece, to change the leadership at the top … with someone who I believe will lead the State in the right direction. Eliot Spitzer is the best-qualified candidate … He will mean all the world of difference to Roosevelt Island!"

Grannis: "Things are changing in New York, and things are going to change more on January 1st, when a new Governor is in place. George Pataki didn’t give a damn about Roosevelt Island. Candidate Eliot Spitzer is coming here. The State has an obligation to Roosevelt Island, and I’m hoping that we’re going to be able to deliver to Roosevelt Island on the promise for this extraordinary community!"

Maloney: "The real victory is going to be electing Eliot Spitzer as our governor. He could do nothing and he would be better than what we have now. What I love about Eliot is he’s not afraid of anyone, he takes on everyone!"

Lappin: "He’s the kind of person I dream of supporting when they run for public office!"

Authorities and Enron

Spitzer, who arrived via the F train looking dapper in dark-blue suit and tie despite a heavy rain, promised he would later play back a tape of the evening’s speeches so he could bask in the nice things everyone had to say about him before his arrival. He quickly turned serious, though, repeating what he had told another audience in a speech a few years back, that "the authorities in New York State are to government what the off-balance-sheet partnerships were to Enron. It’s where all the ugly stuff is hidden." His take on how political appointments have undermined the Island sat well with the enthusiastic crowd, setting off spontaneous bursts of applause and cheers.

Spitzer further proved how up-to-date he was (or was willing to be) on Island affairs during a lengthy Q&A, to which he welcomed "questions, comments, lectures, statements," asking only that any "lectures" be brief. Islanders quickly lined up for a chance at the microphone, most of them prefacing their questions with a personal vote of confidence, a thanks for coming to the Island, or a chance to introduce themselves, beaming, to a possible future Governor.

Perhaps the biggest round of applause was reserved for an answer Spitzer gave to a question that, on the face of it, seemed trivial. After a woman complained that RIOC had painted its own name on the soon-to-be operational Tram, Spitzer considered this out-of-left-field topic, clearly turning it over in his mind as he spoke, and coming to a smiling conclusion: "There’s a symbolism to the Tram. It has a certain visual symbolism and is a real-life part of your daily experience. I’m not sure why it should be painted ‘RIOC’ and not ‘Roosevelt Island’ or ‘Tram.’ I’m against the use of public money for political self-aggrandizement ... We’ll see if the Tram can say something more meaningful than RIOC."

Thunderous applause. To paraphrase Maloney, the audience seemed to feel that if all Eliot Spitzer did was get the Tram repainted, he will have done more for the Island than anything since the arrival of the subway.

Pigeons, Even

One clue as to why Spitzer merited such a warm and respectful reception could be in how he took each question seriously, even a Laurence Brodsky two-parter on whether something could be done about pigeon droppings near the F-train station. "Well," he said, "the pigeons know where it’s a good place to live." Then he went in for the kill. "I don’t pretend to be an expert on pigeons and the subway. But, by next week, I will be."

You could practically see him snapping his fingers at his staff to take note: Tram. Parkland. Mitchell-Lama. Ground leases. Water Tunnel #3. And, of course, pigeons.