Eliot Spitzer's name and image is taken down from N.Y. buildings and signs

BY MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Friday, March 14th 2008, 4:00 AM

Grab the disinfectant. Slip on the latex gloves. Put on the haz-mat mask. Let the great de-Spitz-ification of New York begin.

With Gov. Spitzer headed to the sordid dust pan of history following revelations he trafficked in high-priced hookers, officials are working to scrub Spitzer's name and image from buildings and signs across the state.

There were no live sightings Thursday of Spitzer, the governor-in-name-only until Monday, who remained holed up in his Fifth Ave. building.

Staffers in Albany and at his midtown office boxed up Spitzer's personal effects. Gov.-to-be David Paterson said he spoke with Spitzer by phone but didn't provide details.

The state's Office of General Services is preparing signs for 44 buildings statewide with Paterson's name, agency spokesman Brad Maione confirmed Thursday.

"They will hang the new signs and take down the old," said Maoine, who had no cost estimate for the de-Spitzing.

A spokeswoman at the state Department of Transportation said Spitzer's name is not on the 120 "Welcome to New York" signs at points on the state line. Spitzer and his predecessor, George Pataki, requested their names not be placed on those signs, the aide said.

The DOT is awaiting word from Paterson as to whether he wants his name on the welcome signs.

Down on Beaver St., at the offices of the New York State Insurance Department, a photo of Spitzer and lettering with his name hangs proudly on the wall.

"It will be there till 1 p.m. Monday," said agency spokesman David Neustadt, referring to the hour at which Paterson is expected to take the oath of office as the state's 55th governor.

Asked what the office will do with Spitzer's photo, Neustadt said, "I don't know."

And the lettering? "I guess we can save the letters, but nobody has given any thought to that," he said.

The Daily News came up with some thoughts on how to recycle the ELIOT SPITZER letters. "Toilet prizes" was one. The most appropriate may be simply "ZIP IT," even though there would be letters left over.

msaul@nydailynews.com
With Melissa Grace and Joe Mahoney

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03 ... ken_d.html


Politics has been said to be the second oldest profession. I believe it bears a close resemblance to the first.