FOR THE RECORD

Anyone expecting that Governor Spitzer would take his foot off the pedal in his confrontations with state powerhouses learned otherwise last week when he rammed the state's largest health-care union for protesting his planned hospital cuts.

The union now known as 1199 United Healthcare Workers East joined with the Greater New York Hospital Association to produce commercials stating that Mr. Spitzer, while laudably trying to reform the system, was "doing it the wrong way."

They contended he should be seeking savings by getting tough with HMOs and the pharmaceutical industry rather than cutting $1 billion in aid to hospitals and nursing homes, causing nine hospitals and numerous smaller facilities to close. As proposed by the Governor, the union contends, the cuts would particularly hurt the poorest state residents because their treatment options would be narrowed.

Mr. Spitzer fired off a statement branding the ads "a predictable response from groups dedicated to maintaining a status quo that does not work for anyone but them." He said 1199 and the GNYHA "receive billions of dollars in state subsidies without proper measures of accountability for how they spend taxpayers' hard-earned money. Their goal is to block any attempt to reform the system."

A 1995 ad campaign and street rallies led by 1199 President Dennis Rivera swayed public opinion enough to force George Pataki, who had sought similar large cuts in health-care spending as one of his first acts as Governor, to back away from that initiative. (By 2002, 1199 was endorsing Mr. Pataki for a third term.) One significant change since the early clash is Mr. Rivera's development of close ties with Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, whom the union is apparently counting on to moderate the Governor's program during budget negotiations.

***

Easing residency requirements for public employees and struggling to recruit new cops aren't just New York City issues.

Four of the six candidates vying to become the next Mayor of Philadelphia are in favor of allowing police officers to live outside the city in order to attract more officers. Presently, only individuals who have lived in the City of Brotherly Love for a year are eligible.

The residency issue has been a hot topic here as well. A key provision in District Council 37's latest contract that would allow its members to live in six nearby state counties outside New York City has languished in the City Council, which must pass legislation for it to happen.

Several influential Council Members have opposed the measure, arguing that they do not want to limit job opportunities for their constituents. They have also contended that the issue is outside their jurisdiction and should be handled by the State Legislature.

In Philadelphia, the majority of mayoral candidates are backing a proposal to require new cops to live in the city only after they are hired.

Mayor John F. Street, however, is adamantly against changing the current rule. In 2001, he vetoed legislation designed to amend the current law, which was introduced by City Councilman James Kenney.

"My contention is that changing the residency rule is in the best interest of city government," the Councilman told the Philadelphia Daily News. "We're obviously having trouble recruiting police officers. Look at what the New York City Police Department does. They send a recruiting van down here and park it outside Lincoln Financial Field."

***

The executive board of the New York Metro Area Postal Union Feb. 21 voted unanimously to support a bill drafted by U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler to reduce funding for the war in Iraq so that American troops would have to be completely withdrawn by the end of the year.

"Congress must protect the troops by using its oversight authority to force a new direction in Iraq," Mr. Nadler had insisted.

New York Metro President Clarice Torrence said following her board's vote that she would ask the union's 8,000 members to contact their Members of Congress to urge that they support the bill and its withdrawal timetable.