“Day One: Everything Changes!” Credit Eliot Spitzer.

The invitation to his inauguration is a simple beige fold-over with “Day One” elegantly embossed into the cover without ink. It’s not fancy; it’s not expensive; it’s a message.

And that message is clear – it welcomes you to “Day One.” And “Day One” means everything changes.

Now “everything” has a lot of meaning – fix Medicaid and attack Medicaid fraud, the State budget, deficit and taxes, the upstate economy and downstate ecology, the City schools and a whole lot more.

To this writer, to students of politics, to New York pundits, all of that has very little to do with “Day One.”

To us – to those who have watched the sorry state of affairs that is our New York State government – it means a change of the “Albany Culture.”

The end of the “Culture of Corruption,” is the most eagerly anticipated action that comes with the broom that swept Eliot Spitzer into office. His revolution will and must address: the pattern of criminal or near criminal activity on the part of elected officials; the end of “Pay to Play” where lobbyists’ money will no longer buy government influence; the use of State funds, lulus, member items and the like to keep members in line and not serve the people; the end to secrecy where government will finally operate in the full bright light of day; reform of campaign finance; and redistricting so as not to serve the members of the Legislature but provide real elections and quality representation for the people of the state.

For all too long, the people of this State have been victims of the Albany “Culture of Corruption.” Three men in a room – the Assembly Speaker, the Senate Majority Leader, and the Governor – have ruled the roost looking out for themselves, tossing enough bones to the members of the Legislature while absolutely ignoring the needs of the people.

Corruption is a tough word. Cor·rup·tion: noun - moral perversion.

It is indeed accurate and the culture has over the past several decades infected much of Albany. Many a fine individual has fallen prey to a morality that permitted, if not encouraged, public servants to serve themselves.

If you listen to Eliot Spitzer, it’s over – “Day One”!

If you listen to Eliot Spitzer, everything changes – “Day One”!



FORTUITOUS START

Spitzer got a fortuitous start on the way to “Day One.”

NYS Comptroller, our own Alan Hevesi, a longtime good public servant, had fallen victim to the Culture of Corruption and assigned State personnel to care for and drive his ailing wife. Hevesi’s lackluster opponent caught him and turned him in. Hevesi’s mumbo jumbo and weak opponent was enough to fool a majority of voters but not Spitzer who withdrew his endorsement, distanced himself and his campaign from Hevesi and has made it pretty clear that Hevesi had to go.

The Hevesi episode ended sadly for a longtime good public servant but helped further build the Spitzer image and focus his clean-up Albany campaign, as we approached “Day One.”

Then it was revealed, just last week, that State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno – one of those three men in the room – was the subject of an FBI probe investigating possible conflict of interest or influence peddling on Bruno’s part. It seems member items, big dollar government grants, personal real estate transactions, lobbyists, horse buddies and race track contracts may have all blended into one, and perhaps the culture that Bruno helped to foster made it difficult for him to tell where favors begin and corruption ends. Or is that where favors end and corruption begins? Nevertheless, the gray area of honest graft – you’ll have to do a bit of reading if you don’t buy the concept – can very easily cross the line and become illegal. And the ol’ FBI is checking out Joe’s behavior.

And quietly, Eliot Spitzer is watching as the process, without his initiative or involvement, may take down one of the other two men in the room (George Pataki is gone on “Day One”) or at least weaken his grip of terror on the State Senate.

And that leaves one: Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. And the showdown is nearing. Perhaps it won’t be over the upcoming selection of a replacement to serve out the Hevesi four-year Comptroller term – we’ll see if they compromise or who wins that battle — or over the eleventh hour anticipated move on the part of the worst Legislature in the nation to raise it’s own salary for the 2007 session – talk about the “Culture.” But the showdown is coming and soon.

Silver has for too long been part of the “Culture” – perhaps its most active feeder and defender. He kept member items secret. He blocked tort reform while pocketing millions from a law firm who benefited. He did the law firm’s bidding on insurance issues. He utilized his power to prevent members from freely expressing themselves. He controlled reapportionment carving up the map to protect his flock. He used State money for his district and dispensed it by his whim. He was the consummate Speaker for the Albany Culture and not for the people.

He supported Eliot Spitzer and “Day One” approaches. Can Silver accept dominance by Spitzer? Will Spitzer have to succumb to some of the Albany’s Culture and deal making that has for so long made New York government dysfunctional.

The Eliot Spitzer we’ve seen in the Attorney General’s office and the Eliot Spitzer who so clearly won the mandate of the people can do nothing less than overcome and change the culture. And with it, Shelly Silver.

Watch “Day One” and see who is in control. Watch Shelly Silver decide to take a back seat to Spitzer and then in two years not run for re-election.

And remember what David Paterson – Spitzer’s Lieutenant Governor-to-be — told me just before Election Day: If the Culture doesn’t change “Day One,” there will be a civil war in Albany.

“Day One” is upon us and I can hardly wait.

Good luck Eliot!

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.