NEW PALTZ – Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace over a sex scandal, is back on the lecture circuit.  He appeared on the SUNY New Paltz campus Thursday to discuss what is wrong with the state’s economy and how he believes it can be fixed.

Spitzer all smiles, and business, in appearance before a packed college auditorium

"Hubris is terminal," said Spitzer, speaking about the current state of the economy and the things that should be questioned such as what parameters should there be for government intervention in the marketplace.

"If we can't figure out why government is doing certain things, then we will react to spasms in crises rather than in a thoughtful way that will result in sound governing."

In describing his three rules for fixing the economy, Spitzer said "only government can establish rules of integrity in the marketplace and enforce them; only government can enforce laws relating to externalities; and certain core values simply will not be generated by the market." 

The former governor feels that establishing a minimum wage and avoiding discrimination will not be naturally regulated by the economic marketplace and therefore needs to be regulated by the government.

"And if you believe and think about each of those three arguments," he said, "that begins to give you a sense of what government should do."

Spitzer, who has been making TV news and talk show apeparances for the past several months, spoke before a packaged lecture hall.  He did not discuss his personal problems that quickly down his administration two years ago.