“By stepping down, Governor Spitzer has finally shown compassion for his personal family as well as his public family – the people of the State of New York. He has done the right thing by stepping down.

We are looking forward to a new day – a new Day 1. The Lieutenant Governor comes with a lot of experience as a former legislator in the Senate, which Eliot Spitzer did not have and, quite obviously, hurt his chances at successful governance even before this scandal broke. This experience is vital in leading our state government. Moreover, David Paterson is known to be a cooperative and compassionate man, with a reputation of maintaining mutual respect among elected officials, despite political differences. These are the qualities of a good leader.

Our new Day 1 starts today. We are looking forward to moving this budget process along for our local school boards and governments back home, getting it done on time, and ensuring it is fiscally responsible. Paramount among my concerns is working to lower property taxes and cutting costs for New York’s families and small businesses in order to promote the economic growth our state desperately needs.

In fact, today, my colleagues in the Assembly Minority and I introduced our plan for long-term tax relief and economic growth on the Assembly floor and we will continue working to ensure these measures are part of the enacted state budget.”