About 140 people gathered in front of Roberts Hall Sept. 26, before the gubernatorial debate in nearby Bailey Hall, to rally support for Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer and promote a universal single-payer health-care plan in New York.

The rally began earlier in the day on the Ithaca Commons and was organized by the Tompkins County Workers' Center in conjunction with several local and campus organizations, including Cornell Organization for Labor Action (COLA) and United Auto Workers Local 2300.

Many at the rally held posters supporting the New York State Health Care Plan (State Assembly bill A-6576). "I do not think that profits should dictate how people should be cared for," Tompkins County Legislator Nathan Shinagawa '06 told the crowd. "Health care is an issue [the candidates] should be fighting for -- not just as future governors, but talking about it in their campaigns."

Other speakers included Ithaca City Council members, union representatives and Alex Berg '09 of COLA.

About 30 members of the Cornell Democrats were at the rally, many of them wearing white Spitzer T-shirts. They greeted the candidate briefly when he arrived at Bailey Hall and then gathered at Dino's in Collegetown to watch the debate on television.

Skaneateles native Adam Gay '08, president of the Cornell Democrats, said he hoped Spitzer would bring change to Albany.

"I've seen how inefficient and ineffective our state government has been with late budgets and infighting," Gay said. "He may be able to change the dynamic there."