I have always found it very difficult to get excited about the State of the State. Maybe it's because I don't find it very engaging. Maybe it's because I prefer the grandeur of national politics. Maybe it's because it is on during the middle of the day. Whatever the reason, I never seem to go out of my way to watch the State of the State the way that I go out of my way to watch the State of the Union.Consequently, I find it difficult to write this entry about the 2008 New York State of the State Address. I simply lack the motivation. And this is not to put down the many state officials who are working tirelessly to make the lives of New Yorkers better -- my lack of enthusiasm should in no way reflect displeasure with their efforts.
But, I was able to catch just a few minutes of Gov. Spitzer's State of the State on Wednesday, and what I missed live I researched here (as can you).
Obviously, the initiative that effects our local community the most (and positively, I might add) is the proposed investment in the revitalization of the Poughkeepsie Rail Bridge, turning it into a state park complete with a walkway and a bike path. If the plan goes through, it would bring the local economy construction jobs, as well as employment opportunities for staffers once the park is completed. The bridge has been in a state of non-use for 24 years, since the fire in May of 1974.
I found myself feeling surprisingly enthused at Gov. Spitzer's education proposals -- specifically his higher education proposals. As a product of the SUNY system, I am all for the growth and expansion of SUNY and CUNY establishements, as well as keeping New York at the forefront of the educational community. The fact is that education is the most important issue in the state, as well as the country, and we need to tackle it head-on. A quality education for all is the best way to alleviate a multitude of problems that we face in our society, and the stature of our educational system (especially K-12, which Gov. Spitzer also addressed) is falling unacceptably behind that of other developed nations.
Other high points to me include increased funding for Child Health Plus, Veteran's Tuition Coverage, and the Upstate Revitalization Fund, which I very much support.
I just hope that it all gets done.
6 comments:
I'm glad you liked it. Just remember who's been obstructing progress in Albany before you cast your vote for a republican or against the Senator that Eliot endorses. When you vote republican you undercut every one of those proposals.
Check out the youtube clip on the DNC blog under "the greatest critic of the iraq war" and then tell me how honest and sincere McCain is.
Please refer to Gov. Spitzer with some respect; to you, he is not "Eliot."
Anonymous #3-The caste system is for the little people like you. Eliot is one of us. The thinking class. We don't bow down to each other. I can just say "yo wassup" and nod.
You get more respect when you give respect.
Respect that matters comes from intelligence,not ass kissing. It's earned by smart people and given amongst us in ways you're not allowed to. We talk in language that stuns you with it's blunt informality and prolific profanity. It's a license to converse colloquially that only comes with intelligent content. Don't try it without permission or you'll get tossed out of the venue. The language that you were taught not to use has a place and a purpose in the elite world. Maybe when you have opinions that deserve respect you'll be talked to in such a way. If you flinch like you did,you'll be written off as a loser. Smile and accept it as a compliment, and you'll learn a new way to convey ideas and concepts over the heads of the little people. I can communicate more with a mumble and a nod than most people can get out in five sentences.
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