The political life is a tough one. The job can grind you up and wear you down. And the people are a fickle lot. A hero today is a fallen idol tomorrow.
But for those with politics in their blood, the passion burns on long after they”™ve left public office.
“It”™s an addiction being in politics, serving in government,” said Nick Spano, 56, of Yonkers.
He should know, having spent nearly three decades in public office ”“ 20 of those years as a Republican state senator representing parts of Westchester.
Spano now sits on the other side of the desk. He founded Empire Strategic Planning, a lobbying firm, in 2007 and represents a number of private sector interests in the Hudson Valley, including developer Louis Cappelli, Con Edison, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway and the Greater New York Hospital Association.
Initially, under a state ethics rule, Spano was prohibited from lobbying former colleagues for two years. That changed in January. “I can now lobby the members,” he said. “I have a solid book of clients ”¦ My role is to monitor the process in Albany, to be an advocate on their behalf.”
While Spano talks enthusiastically about business opportunities and enjoying a “normal” life, he reminisces about his days in Albany: “I miss the fight. I miss the action. I miss being part of that legislative process.”
Would he run again?
“I think about it all the time,” he said. “I love it ”¦ and if there”™s an opportunity in the future where I can serve I will seize that opportunity.”
And another run for public office could include a bid for Westchester County executive, possibly on the Democratic ticket, but “only” if Andy Spano were to retire. He cited his friendship with and support for the current County Executive Spano (no relation). If he were to make another bid for the Senate, however, he vowed to run as a Republican. Spano”™s younger brother Michael Spano, a Republican-turned-Democrat, represents Westchester in the 93rd Assembly District.
Nick Spano was elected to the state Assembly in 1978 and to the state Senate eight years later. As senator for the 35th District, he represented Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant and the city of Yonkers. He was senior assistant majority leader and chairman of several committees, including Labor and Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. Spano lost his Senate seat to Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins in 2006.
In a wide-ranging interview Jan. 30, Spano talked about his political career, a “difficult” transition to the private sector and what led him to start his own business.
“I look back with pride, with 28 years of a record up in the state Capitol ”¦ and I”™m very happy that my business that I established is doing very well. And I”™m also happy that my daughter gave me a little grandchild, so now I”™m grandpa and I can spend some time (with family), having some fun and doing the things that I continue to say ”˜normal”™ people take for granted.”
Spano also offered observances on the state of the economy and lessons to be learned in the public and private sectors. Following are excerpts. For the entire interview, go to our Web site wcbizj.biz and click on YouTube.
You”™ve spent so many years in politics and you come from a family of politically active people. What was the transition like, from the public to the private sector?
 “It was a difficult transition. I was elected in 1978. I was 24 years old when I ran for the state Assembly. I served for eight years in the Assembly as the youngest member ”¦ and at 33 I ran for the Senate and then served for 20 years. So ”¦ all of my adult life, I served in the Legislature.
“When I first got out of office, I would look for my schedule and say ”˜What do I have today?”™ Then I”™d realize I don”™t have anything on my schedule today. It was different, it really was, because being a member of the Legislature is an all-consuming job. You”™re going seven days a week, nonstop, people pulling and tugging at you, constantly. It”™s a high-pressure job, but a job that I absolutely loved. And I miss it, there”™s no question.”
Why Empire Strategic Planning?
“It was only natural coming out of the Legislature that I continue to do the type of work that I had become accustomed to doing, which was ”¦ being an advocate for people up in the state Capitol.”
You also work with the local business group, The Westchester County Association?
“The Westchester County Association has an ambitious agenda. I worked with them as a member of the Senate on HMO reform, for instance ”¦ trying to make sure that those HMOs up in Albany ”¦ would actually provide a good level of service to people but at the same time do it in an affordable way, and not really gouge the businesses all across New York state. As a result of their persistence, we were able to pass ”¦ with Assemblyman Adam Bradley, a series of bills on HMO reform. That continues to be a major issue of the Westchester County Association as well as working with Albany on issues (such as) the county budget (and) the property tax issue ”“ both on the onerous taxes that are placed on property taxpayers in Westchester as well as the businesses.”
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Back to your home turf in Yonkers. You mentioned Louis Cappelli as a client. What”™s going on with the Struever Fidelco Cappelli”™s $1.6 billion project downtown?
“We”™re finally seeing progress. The process has been going much slower than the developers would like ”¦ than the mayor would like. Rather than pointing fingers of blame as to why that”™s happening, they have to recognize that when we have individuals who are ready to make multibillion-dollar commitments to our economically distressed areas of this county, who have the funding to make it happen, to bring people, business, jobs and industry to increase our tax base ”¦ they better just accept that with open arms. Everyone points to White Plains. Look at what has continued to happen in White Plains because the business climate has been so favorable. It should be the same in Yonkers. So, the project is a great one. It will go in line towards redeveloping that entire infrastructure on the west side of the city ”¦ people will come to Yonkers if you give them a reason.”
Broader picture. These are unprecedented times, both economically and politically. What do you think about President Obama”™s $800 billion stimulus package?
“I think it”™s great news that the federal government is moving forward and moving forward rapidly on a stimulus package because we certainly need a shot in the arm in terms of infrastructure, job creation all across this nation and certainly in New York state. The state Legislative delegation, as well as the governor, right now are working toward trying to deal with a $1.7 billion short-term budget deficit ”¦ and then they”™re going to deal with a $14 billion or so deficit for next year”™s budget. These are mind-boggling numbers ”¦ they can”™t tax their way out of this problem and they can”™t cut their way out of the problem.”
Things have gone wrong in both the public and private sectors. What happened?
“Here”™s the problem. No one ever could have imagined that the fiscal crisis we”™re facing today would be as severe as it is. And the problems that we face in New York state are made so much worse because the financial services industry is located right in our backyard in New York City. New York state”™s budget depends so much on the success of the financial services industry that when we see a report by the state comptroller that says that (Wall Street) bonuses were down 44 percent last year, that will have a tremendous impact on the first quarter of this year ”¦ because of those (lost) income taxes. So it”™s difficult for anyone to recognize that and it”™s not that people are spending money like a runaway train because that is not the case.”
This is not throwing stones, but what could be done differently?
“We have seen in recent years continuing dwindling of our tax base. Government has to do things a lot smarter, they have to look outside the box, they need consolidation. Local governments need to begin moving in this direction with the help and support and cajoling of state government. Why do we need so many police departments in Westchester? Why do we need so many school districts? Some people think that”™s heresy to say that ”¦ some people want to protect their turf ”¦ but there a lot of consolidations that could occur.”
