Step It Up, New York
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
It is embarrassing. There is just no other way to put it. Living in New York and being represented by these people is just embarrassing.
Eliot Spitzer was embarrassing even before he got caught with a call girl. His megalomaniacal behavior when he first became governor was reprehensible and petty and embarrassing, so he quits and David Paterson takes over. Within hours we hear more revelations than anyone really wants to know about Paterson's personal life and once again, we're embarrassed.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is not embarrassing, launched his plan to bring congestion pricing to Manhattan. Tough, I know. But in the end, a really good idea was only to be quashed by assembly speaker Sheldon Silver. Embarrassing.
And finally this week the New York State legislature approved a $122 billion budget. That's a five percent increase. Somehow word of the nationwide economic downturn has not reached Albany. And that, too, is embarrassing.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on many CBS Radio News affiliates across the country.