To the Editor:
“The Arrogant Governor” [July 16] went too far in criticizing Governor Eliot Spitzer for the recent feud with State Senator Joseph Bruno.
The Observer wrote: “what makes this episode downright sinister is the shadow of criminal investigations. A federal inquiry is looking into Mr. Bruno’s business dealings, and the state Attorney General’s office and the Albany district attorney reportedly are looking into [Mr. Bruno’s] use of state aircraft and personnel for fund-raising events… The Governor, a political naif, has unwittingly set the stage for Mr. Bruno to cry ‘politics’ if he is charged with wrongdoing as a result of the state and local inquiries against him.”
Did it take only seven months to forget that the state comptroller, Alan Hevesi, a Democrat, resigned in disgrace after pleading guilty to charges of misuse of state vehicles and personnel for personal use? The Observer rightly noted the shame the comptroller brought to his office [Can Hevesi Hold On?” October 29, 2006] If Mr. Bruno has misused state aircraft and the state police for personal benefit, that would be a breach of public trust—beyond mere “politics.”
Ira Salom
Manhattan
