Spitzer is low-keyed in State of State address

After his first full year as governor resulted in his approval rating in public opinion polls falling to record low numbers, Eliot Spitzer delivered his second state of the state address with a much more subdued tone.
Spitzer talked about many issues and goals including continuing to emphasize quality education at primary and secondary schools, increasing affordable health care for New Yorkers as well as making sure all children have access to insurance, reducing property taxes, investing in infrastructure and development projects as well as making the cost of living more affordable for New Yorkers.
Spitzer, who last year called for sweeping changes in how Albany worked, spoke in a tone that was more conciliatory and vowed to work together with the state legislature to accomplish his goal of making the state the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family as well as the center of economic growth and opportunity.
However, some members of his own party including Queens State Senator George Onorato took a more cautious tone comparing state of the state addresses to a buffet.
“There’s usually something there for everyone, and it all sounds good,” Onorato said. “But we won’t really know how palatable it is until we find out what’s really on the table, what goes into it, and what it costs.”
During Spitzer’s address - all 7,558 words according to the text of his prepared remarks - he only mentioned Queens once specifically. That reference came when talking about his desire to rename the Triborough Bridge, which connects wealthy and poor parts of Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, after the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
“Robert F. Kennedy, our great former Senator, was a man whose life was dedicated to building a figurative bridge so that the poorest among us could one day cross into economic security and prosperity,” Spitzer said during his address.
One of the biggest issues on his agenda included adding 2,000 full-time faculty members to City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY) institutions throughout the next five years in order to increase the amount of quality education available to New Yorkers. In addition, Spitzer also spoke about implementing other ideas proposed by the State Higher Education Commission that he formed last year.
“The governor has shown his commitment to the first year of the Commission’s plan of action to invest in higher education, a plan which will build over the next 10 to 20 years, regardless of the ups or downs of the economy,” said Queensborough Community College President, Dr. Eduardo Marti.
Meanwhile, Spitzer also announced plans to propose legislation that would award all New York veterans the opportunity to attend a SUNY or CUNY school free of charge.