Newsday - Suozzi: Spitzer Tax Plan 'full of holes'

Newsday - Suozzi: Spitzer Tax Plan 'full of holes'

On the same day that Eliot Spitzer released a campaign commercial touting his $6-billion property tax plan, long-shot candidate Thomas Suozzi hammered him on the issue at a gathering here.

"It's full of holes, it's all full of holes," said Suozzi, the Nassau County executive. He added that Spitzer, the state attorney general, promised the same revenue to different groups in his plan.

"It's the typical Albany math," Suozzi told about 60 people in the cocktail lounge of the Knights of Columbus building here.

Suozzi is presenting himself as a reformer willing to take on the established political interests in Albany, and he frequently tries to portray Spitzer as their captive.

Suozzi also touts his own hands-on experience as county executive, while saying Spitzer's track record as attorney general leaves him unprepared to deal with fixing schools, property taxes and state government.

But Spitzer campaign spokeswoman Christine Anderson said: "Eliot has spent the last seven years fighting for low-wage workers, children, seniors, the environment and has built a reputation as a trusted choice for change."

In Spitzer's 30-second spot, which was scheduled to begin airing on network and cable broadcasts last night, he vows to reduce property taxes for the middle class. "Property taxes are strangling our future," he says in the ad. "We can't bring New York back if people can't afford to live here."

The crowd last night reacted to Suozzi's remarks with polite, energetic applause.

In one exchange, Suozzi alluded to his difficulty in beating Spitzer for the Democratic nomination for governor.

"I'm getting crushed in the polls," Suozzi said. "The reality is that 74 percent of people say they don't know enough about Tom Suozzi."

http://tomsuozzi.com/news/pr-062106b/