Tedisco Accuses Spitzer of 'Dirty Tricks,' 'Bullying'

Assembly Republic Leader Jim Tedisco (R-Schenectady, Saratoga) accused Governor Eliot Spitzer of yanking funding from his district in retaliation against Tedisco's loud criticism of the Governor's drivers license policy.

"I have been informed that Governor Spitzer is attempting to eliminate funding I secured for various community groups throughout my Assembly District," Tedisco said in a statement.

"It's an absolute disgrace that Governor Eliot Spitzer would attempt to de-fund these worthy endeavors in a desperate effort to try and steamroll me into relinquishing my opposition to his dangerous plan to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens."

Gov. Spitzer chose not to renew $300,000 in state-funded health care and education projects that Tedisco had itemized in his budget under the Pataki administration.

Tedisco said the money had been slated for public health clinics, playgrounds and inner city programs.

But the state budget director, Paul Francis, said that Spitzer had delivered on his promise to honor former Gov. Pataki's funding commitments, several of which covered Tedisco's district.

"When Governor Spitzer took office in January, he made a decision to honor all prior funding commitments that were made by the previous administration," Francis wrote in a letter to Tedisco.

The Spitzer administration never promised to fund new initiatives after January 1, 2007, Francis said.

Additionally, he noted, the state provided $5 million to Tedisco in discretionary funds to allocate to projects he considered a priority.

The Assemblyman has been one of the most vocal critics of Spitzer's new policy allowing illegal immigrants in the state to apply for driver licenses, saying it poses a threat to the "safety and security of our state."

"Without question, Governor Spitzer is attempting to bully, intimidate and silence my opposition to his proposal that would give illegal aliens driver's licenses," said Tedisco. "If the Governor thinks I'll be bullied, or that this attempt to silence me will stand, he is sadly mistaken."

Tedisco went on to characterize the recent months of Spitzer's administration as "an alarming downward spiral of petty, political payback," and accused him of "raining down pain on hard working families in Schenectady and Saratoga counties."

Christine Anderson, Spitzer's spokesperson, told Dicker that the governor wasn't retaliating against Tedisco but was only "trying to get state budget spending under control."

The Spitzer administration's image has been suffering over the past several months, most notably as a result of its highly public spats with Republican Senate majority leader Joe Bruno and his administration.