Bruno criticizes Faso’s dismal view of upstate economy - Newsday.com

ALBANY, N.Y. — Republican Senate leader Joseph Bruno on Thursday criticized comments by his party’s candidate for governor, John Faso, who has joined his Democrat opponents in painting a dismal view of the upstate economy while blaming Albany.

In a televised forum Wednesday, Faso said upstate cities are in a “fiscal death throe.” Faso has previously said upstate cities were “withering on the vine” and in a “death spiral.”

“I don’t agree at all that it’s withering on the vine,” Bruno told WROW-AM. He was asked his reaction to the “withering” and “death spiral” quotes without being told who said them.

“What I do agree with is they do need support,” Bruno said of upstate residents.

Bruno said the upstate economic problems are clear and the candidates for governor and U.S. Senate, including Faso, are focusing too much on the problem and too little on solving it.

Bruno leads a narrow majority in the Senate that dwindled in the 2004 elections. This year Bruno is trying again to protect the Republican majority that has ruled the chamber for decades. He said Republicans have sought tax cuts and job programs for years, but said they sometimes had to accept “a half a loaf” when negotiating with the Democrat-led Assembly.

“I want to hear positives,” Bruno said. “I don’t want to hear negatives. I don’t want to hear what’s wrong. I want to hear how we’re going to fix it. I’m sick and tired of everybody throwing stones (about) what’s wrong. We know what’s wrong. It’s apparent what’s wrong.”

Faso wouldn’t comment on Bruno’s statement.

“John has been traveling to cities across upstate New York and one thing is clear: People want and need tax cuts _ property tax cuts, income tax cuts and business tax cuts,” said Faso spokeswoman Susan Del Percio. “John has talked about all this with specifics.”

Faso faces Democrats Eliot Spitzer and Tom Suozzi, who have also made reviving the upstate economy a major issue in the governor’s campaign and their Sept 12 primary battle.

Afraid of facing the truth Joe? You and Sheldon Silver are so blind to any other part of the state it makes me ill. The policies and laws that come out of Albany that are good for NYCity are not always good for the whole state, as a matter of fact some of them are helping with the destruction of it.

Down state needs to be down state and we need to be allowed to be upstate, some how seperate the destructive policies that are enforced through out the whole state. The sooner you realize this Joe the sooner we will be able to run ourselves. We need your permission to go to the bathroom and then the unions will tell us how to do it and when.

Wake up Mr Bruno, you and Sheldon Silver are destroying this state and our elected representatives are to blame because they continue to re-elect you two, to the leadership positions, instead of leading you out to pasture where you belong. Go grazing for a while and chew your cud, we all would be much better off.