No Knockout in Democratic Debate
Suozzi Jabs, Spitzer Stays Up

By RICHARD STEIER

If Thomas R. Suozzi had one recurring theme in his debate with fellow Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Eliot Spitzer July 25, it was that there should be more debates between the two men.

THOMAS R. SUOZZI: Aggressor in debate.

It was not surprising that the Nassau County Executive repeatedly sounded that note in responding to virtually every question from a four-person panel and moderator Dominic Carter. The polls most favorable to him show him trailing the State Attorney General by about 60 points.

Raps AG As Insider

So unless Mr. Spitzer consents to additional debates - and it doesn't appear that he will - this was Mr. Suozzi's only chance to be seen on an equal footing with a candidate whose lead seems impregnable given his advantages in fund-raising, union support and the backing of much of the state's Democratic political establishment.

As he has on the campaign trail, Mr. Suozzi sought to use those benefits against Mr. Spitzer. He began his opening statement by saying, "New York State government is dysfunctional. Both parties are rotten to the core." And over 7-1/2 years as Attorney General, he asserted, Mr. Spitzer "never really focused on government reform" while building a national reputation for his prosecutions of improprieties on Wall Street.

ELIOT SPITZER: Avoids going negative.

While the Attorney General's attentions were focused elsewhere, Mr. Suozzi noted, "More legislators in New York State government have been indicted in the last three years than have lost their offices in the polling booth."

Mr. Spitzer quite naturally saw his tenure in a different light. "An office that was moribund was transformed into an office that spoke to the ethics, the values, the moral vision that we believe in," he said.

Spitzer Avoids Slipping

As the clear front-runner, Mr. Spitzer's only concern was not committing some gaffe that Mr. Suozzi could capitalize on in the six weeks before the Sept. 12 primary. He didn't need to score a knockout; didn't even need to win on points, and so he occasionally counterpunched but let Mr. Suozzi do most of the jabbing.

The Nassau County Executive defined the difference between the two of them by saying, "He's a prosecutor. I'm a chief executive." During his tenure, he told those gathered inside Pace University and the much larger cable television audience, "I took the worst-run county in the nation and made one of the most dramatic turnarounds in this country. We received more bond upgrades than any municipality in the United States."

Over decades of Republican control of both the County Executive's seat and the Nassau Legislature, close relations between the GOP and the Nassau Police Benevolent Association helped produce police salaries that are the envy of NYPD cops but left the county in serious debt when Mr. Suozzi took office 4-1/2 years ago. In one of the few instances where either candidate talked about public employees and their unions, the Nassau Executive cited his contract dealings with the Nassau PBA to contrast how he stood up to special interests while Mr. Spitzer sought their political backing.

'Historic Concessions'

"I reduced the [county] work force to the smallest it's been in 30 years," Mr. Suozzi said. "I stood up to the powerful political interests, the PBA union out in Nassau County, to get historical concessions from them."

Addressing Mr. Spitzer directly, he said, "You don't understand what it takes to manage a large, complex, multi-billion-dollar government."

One of the reporters on the panel asked Mr. Spitzer whether there was any in stance as Attorney General where he defended the state even though he disagreed with the position taken by the Governor on an issue. Mr. Spitzer initially cited Governor Pataki's opposition to permitting cameras in courtrooms, then mentioned his continued appeal of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity suit aimed at securing billions of dollars in additional aid for the city school system.

Questions Priorities

Mr. Suozzi interjected, "It's shocking to me that he brought up cameras in the courtroom, not CFE," as the first issue where he disagreed strongly with the Governor.

But when the two men were asked how much money they would devote from the current state budget toward satisfying that suit, Mr. Spitzer pledged $5 billion plus additional revenue from video-lottery terminals, while Mr. Suozzi was willing to commit just $2.5 billion, which he said would pay for additional pre-kindergarten classes, attract top Teachers to the toughest schools, and more charter schools. Asked by one panelist whether the amount he was offering if elected wasn't "on the low end," the Nassau Executive replied, "I believe it will satisfy their concerns."

They also are at odds on the death penalty, which is currently not in effect in New York after Mr. Pataki pushed through a bill restoring it during 1995, his first year in office.

Mr. Suozzi said he opposed capital punishment "on principle," even for cop-killers or terrorists.

Mr. Spitzer cited terrorism and the intentional murder of a police officer as instances where "the death penalty is an appropriate sanction." He said the rise of DNA testing as a tool in exonerating those wrongfully accused, as well as helping to convict those who actually committed crimes, made him confident that innocent persons would not be executed.

A Vote for Kalikow

During a "lightning round" in which the candidates had to respond to Mr. Carter's questions with a yes or no, when asked whether private schools were better than public schools, Mr. Spitzer - whose children attend private school - responded, "Overall, yes."

"No," Mr. Suozzi stated.

Asked whether, if elected, they would seek to force out the recently reappointed Peter S. Kalikow as Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Mr. Spitzer said, "Absolutely," but Mr. Suozzi said he wouldn't.