Legally blind Paterson has overcome obstacles in life BY MICHAEL HILL The Associated Press
The man poised to succeed Gov. Eliot Spitzer would not only become the first black governor of New York, he would also be the state’s first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt. Though his sight is limited, Lt. Gov. David Paterson walks the halls of the Capitol unaided. He recognizes people at conversational distance and can memorize whole speeches. He has played basketball, run a marathon, and survived 22 years in the backbiting culture of the state Capitol with a reputation as a man more apt to reach for an olive branch than a baseball bat. If Spitzer resigns after being snared in a prostitution scandal, the biggest changes in a Paterson administration would probably revolve around style. “He’s a guy who had two handicaps: his blindness and his race. And he never made excuses for it,” said civil rights leader Al Sharpton, a longtime friend. “He’s the guy who has said, ‘I have been in a minority group and a minority within a minority group. And I can make it, so don’t give me no excuses.’ ” Paterson, 53, is the son of former state Sen. Basil Paterson, a member of the storied “Harlem Clubhouse” that includes fellow Democrats U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. The elder Paterson was the first in the family to run for lieutenant governor in 1970. He lost, but later became New York’s first black secretary of state. David Paterson lost sight in his left eye and much of the sight in his right eye after an infection as an infant. Refusal to bow to his handicap came early. When New York City schools refused to let him attend mainstream classes, his parents established residency on Long Island, where they found a school that would let him go to regular classes. “He was in the plays and on the stage, and required no assistance in maneuvering around stage and on the playground,” said Dr. Casmiro Liotta, Paterson’s former principal at the Fulton School. Assemblyman Keith Wright, an old Harlem friend, remembers Paterson playing basketball and generally acting just like the other kids in the neighborhood. In 1999, Paterson completed the New York City Marathon. After earning degrees from Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, he worked for the Queens district attorney’s office and was elected to the state Senate in 1985 at the age of 31. He built a reputation for working hard in a place where not everyone does. Though he can read for brief periods, Paterson usually has aides read to him. He also has developed the ability to remember entire speeches and policy arcana. State Sen. Neil Breslin recalled that he told Paterson his cellphone number once and he memorized it. “He has one of the finest memories of anyone I’ve known,” Breslin said. In sharp contrast to Spitzer, who can sound like a legal brief, Paterson is known for dry wit and speaking off the cuff. Sharpton recalled Paterson’s arrest with his father at a New York City protest over the 1999 police killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant. Paterson quipped: “I’m going to tell the judge that I didn’t see where I was going.” That easy demeanor belies Paterson’s record as a savvy political operator. He seized control of the Senate Democratic caucus from another senator in 2002. He then worked to build the caucus, chipping away at the Republican majority to the point where it’s now down to one seat. And he bucked his own father by accepting Spitzer’s offer to become his running mate. Basil Paterson and others in the Harlem Clubhouse had already thrown their support to someone else. Paterson reportedly took a couple of weeks to decide whether to give up his legislative career for New York’s notoriously anonymous No 2 spot. And sure enough, as Spitzer ostentatiously picked fights with lawmakers and became embroiled in a scandal over aides’ efforts to em barrass a Republican rival, Paterson stuck to an agenda that was substan tial, but hardly flashy: Medicaid, stem cell research, renewable energy. If Spitzer steps down or is re moved, Paterson would become only the third black governor in the nation since Reconstruction. He would also be the first blind governor — at least as far as the National Federation of the Blind is aware. Paterson would not be the fi rst New York governor with a dis ability. Franklin Delano Roosevelt who governed from 1929 to 1932, was paralyzed by polio in 1921. If Spitzer resigns, Paterson would have to lean heavily on his ability to smooth ruffled feathers. Even before Spitzer was snagged in a prostitu tion scandal, the Capitol has been an acrimonious place. Paterson already has a warm rela tionship with Republican Senate Ma jority Leader Joseph Bruno from his days in the Senate. Assembly Repub lican Leader James Tedisco said he’ already received a call from Paterson talking about the future. “He will be able to turn the tem perature down a little bit,” Wright said. Lt. Gov. David Paterson, right, leaves his home in Guilderland Tuesday evening. Paterson has been staying out of the public eye since Monday’s announcement about Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Mr. Paterson's challenge First published: Thursday, March 13, 2008
This was New York, just two years ago: Eliot Spitzer was running for governor and vowing to transform New York, to resuscitate the statewide economy, lower those oppressively high property taxes, make the schools better, create more jobs, revitalize the struggling cities of upstate and develop new and cheaper forms of energy. Oh, and make a state government renowned for corruption and dysfunction more representative and efficient. Lofty promises to be sure, but New Yorkers were very eager to have him try to deliver on them. This was New York on Wednesday: Mr. Spitzer was resigning, under circumstances that could hardly be more humiliating, yet talking all the while about the "people's work" and "what might have been." It's up to David Paterson to salvage Mr. Spitzer's ambitious but unfinished long-range agenda. New Yorkers should insist upon it. That's what they voted for, remember, by a record margin, yet. Their sense of anger and betrayal shouldn't be compounded by having to endure a state government that fails to meet the most reasonable expectations. Mr. Paterson might lack the impressive mandate that Mr. Spitzer so briefly had. But he deserves the public's trust and support as he takes over a state that's not in much different shape than it was the day he and and Mr. Spitzer took office. Mr. Paterson also lacks the enemies Mr. Spitzer so quickly made during 15 months in office. Mr. Spitzer's downfall presents an opportunity for the Legislature to work with a new governor to make New York a more attractive, affordable and competitive state. A personal aversion to a difficult governor no longer can be a reason not to change Albany at its very core. If Mr. Spitzer is to be remembered in any constructive way, in fact, it might be by his words on Monday, as he acknowledged his role in a scandal that otherwise seemed unimaginable. "I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals," he said. "It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York." It was the ideas that Mr. Spitzer, along with Mr. Paterson, represented, in fact, that had him in office in the first place. The first year of the Spitzer-Paterson administration did have some early success. The Legislature quickly passed the governor's ethics reform package, for example. It was about to pass tougher campaign finance laws, too, before Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno backed out of a deal with Mr. Spitzer as a bitter feud erupted between them. There was no progress, though, on matters of more urgency to taxpayers. The altogether better New York Mr. Spitzer envisioned never materialized. What might have been, as the departing governor lamented, urgently needs to be. The 19 million New Yorkers Mr. Paterson will govern deserve so much better. ISSUE:New Yorkers still want the changes promised by a banished governor.THE STAKES:The new administration already has promises to keep.
Paterson says he is ready to lead state March 13, 2008 The Associated Press
Lt. Gov. David Paterson speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol in Albany on Thursday. Paterson on Monday will replace Gov. Eliot Spitzer who resigned on Wednesday. ALBANY — David Paterson, who will become New York’s first black governor and the first legally blind chief executive in the nation, said this afternoon he is ready to lead the state after Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s stunning resignation amid a call-girl scandal. At a news conference in the Capitol’s Red Room, a ceremonial setting where governor’s frequently address the media, Paterson said he told Spitzer when he reluctantly accepted the job as lieutenant governor that “I would be prepared in the event I had to assume authority. “I am prepared,” Paterson said. Spitzer resigned Wednesday after being exposed as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring. “This has been a very sad few days in the history of New York, and for me, it’s been sadder,” said Paterson, a Harlem Democrat with a home near Albany. “My heart goes out to Eliot Spitzer, his wife, his daughters and his parents.” “We used to call them our other family,” Paterson said of Spitzer’s parents. Paterson will be officially sworn in at 1 p.m. Monday, an hour after Spitzer’s resignation takes effect. Paterson acknowledged the strange circumstances of his remarkably swift ascension from leader of the minority Democratic Senate conference in 2006 to the governor’s office and leadership of the state’s Democratic party just 14 months later. “It’s been a very difficult time,” he said. “I did not get to this position in the way most people have, or in the way that most people would like.” Spitzer, who resigned Wednesday after being exposed as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring, was famously abrasive to legislators and was open about his desire to overthrow Senate Republicans. In one noted exchange, he used a profanity to describe himself as a “steamroller” to a Republican lawmaker. Paterson has been praised for his ability to work with legislators of both parties. “I have spoken with him,” Paterson said of Spitzer. “I just told him how sorry I was this happened and how much he still inspires me.” Several Spitzer administration officials are expected to remain with Paterson. Some of Spitzer’s top aides, however, have submitted resignations for Paterson to consider. “The message to the people of New York is that New York state government is still thriving, and we are still serving the people,” Paterson said earlier in the day.
New leader, new promise Paterson shows humanity, humor during first comments
By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau . First published: Friday, March 14, 2008
ALBANY -- Joking and at ease in his first gubernatorial news conference, Lt. Gov. David Paterson showed respect for disgraced Gov. Eliot Spitzer and revealed Thursday that he's open to new taxes to support the state budget. Paterson, who will take over Spitzer's job after the governor resigns Monday, said he might be willing to fuel some of the $124 billion in spending in the upcoming fiscal year with a new tax on very wealthy New Yorkers. Assembly Democrats are pitching a temporary additional income tax on earnings above $1 million a year to raise $1.5 billion annually for five years.
"I don't necessarily know, it might become an issue," Paterson said when asked if he would go along with the plan. Spitzer had flatly ruled out increasing personal income taxes, as have Senate Republicans. "We are looking at a recession, and I think a stock market that is in flux, major investment houses that are under siege," Paterson said. The 53-year-old Harlem Democrat, who has a residence in Guilderland, said he continues to embrace the liberal philosophy he displayed while in the Senate. That would mean he will be pro-choice in abortion debates, in favor of gay marriage, against the death penalty and generally to the left of Spitzer. With his trademark wisecracking style, Paterson entered the governor's Red Room, which was filled with TV cameras, reporters and aides, and cut the tension of the past three days of scandal when staffers applauded his entrance. "If most of you weren't being paid, I'd be flattered," he said, drawing laughter across the room. After a few words of sympathy to Spitzer and his family, who are dealing with the governor's hiring of high-priced prostitutes while on state business, Paterson gave a brief address and answered a dozen questions. He said Spitzer, who faces the prospect of felony charges for allegedly trying to hide financial transfers to pay for his trysts, "probably has suffered enough" but understands that law enforcers must approach their jobs with detachment. He handled all the inquiries in a manner that showed he was familiar with elements of even regional issues. He made few promises and said he will be cramming on the budget, due April 1. When asked whether he had ever patronized hookers during his state career, Paterson paused for several seconds before answering: "Only the lobbyists. That's why we want campaign finance reform." But he did not commit to restricting his own campaign collections as Spitzer did, and while he called a cap on local property taxes, another move Spitzer endorsed, "a good idea," his support did not appear strong. He seemed pessimistic on the notion of raising legislative pay, particularly with the economy so shaky, but said he'd like to figure a way to separate the issue from increasing salaries for judges. Asked about being the first African-American to rise to the highest office in New York, while also dealing with blindness, he responded that he feels guilty for having gotten a job other black people earned before him. "I feel I'm standing on a sand castle that other people built," he said. "They would have been far more qualified than me to serve in this position." He said people with disabilities and people of color might be inspired by his story, and that would be a good thing. Deaf and blind people, who tend to be unemployed and underutilized, may have the cure to cancer, he said.Christine Anderson, Spitzer's director of communications who served in that function for Paterson at the news conference, said, "Today is a new day, all of us are hard at work." She said if a crisis developed between now and Monday, Spitzer would take charge. Before the briefing, Paterson met with agency commissioners and directors -- Spitzer's team -- and said he's the new coach and won't be changing the players if they want to stay. "Laser light focus ... he listens, he's attentive, he asks questions, says we're going to need more on this, this and this," said Michael Balboni, the public safety secretary. One staffer, who asked not to be identified, said Paterson's talk helped relieve the grim, apprehensive mood that had prevailed in the executive chamber this week. Even privately, the staffer said, Paterson didn't condemn Spitzer, saying, "We're all human; if anything it's time for people to reflect on their own flaws. ... He handled it with such grace and sensitivity. The mood is entirely different right now." James M. Odato can be reached at 454-5083 or by e-mail at jodato@timesunion.com.
Although he's a liberal in many ways, I'm willing to give him a chance - and let the system of checks and balances run it's course. I do reserve the right to change my mind if the P (ardon) word comes up tho!
CAPITOL Paterson’s duty a balancing act Downstate leader meets upstate needs BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter
Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s city-by-city series of upstate economic development announcements never got around to the Capital Region, and it’s not clear just when we can expect the incoming governor, David Paterson, to stop by local cities such as Schenectady, Amsterdam and Gloversville. Nor is it clear if Paterson will follow Spitzer’s policies on education funding or on taxation. It’s not that the new governor, who will be sworn in Monday, has politics or priorities much different from his predecessor. But Spitzer, who announced his resignation last week after being caught in a prostitution scandal, is leaving his successor a $4.5 billion budget gap at a time when the state and nation seem to be falling into a recession, which limits any governor’s options. The budget is due April 1. Empire State Development Corp. spokeswoman Stefanie Zakowicz said not all of the city-by-city projects announced by Spitzer in 2007 — including Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, Utica and Plattsburgh — required new funding. But those that did will need to get it out of the 2008-09 budget, specifically the proposed $1 billion upstate revitalization package. “A second phase of this initiative would be implemented should the budget pass,” Zakowicz said in an email. “… At this time, no specifi c projects have been identified, nor were any previously identified, for the second phase. Once the upstate revitalization package is approved, we will start to evaluate projects for consideration, including those in Schenectady, as well as those in other communities. “Right now, ESD’s focus is on helping Governor-to-be Paterson maintain stability and continuity as well as provide information through the transition process,” she said. Zakowicz said the ESDC’s upstate development czar, Dan Gundersen, has not spoken to Paterson since the Spitzer scandal broke but hopes to stay on in the new administration. Gundersen was traveling Friday and not available for comment, she said. Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen, head of economic development for Schenectady County, said potential projects for the state to fund include bike trail extensions and rehabilitating the Foster Building on State Street in downtown Schenectady. He also wants the state to give up ownership of a former bakery in the Rotterdam Industrial Park, putting it back on the tax rolls. But Gillen said Schenectady did pretty well in terms of state funding last year, despite not being included yet in the city-bycity program. It got, for example, $5 million to help induce General Electric Co. to establish a wind energy operation in Schenectady, and that funding is not dependent on anything in this year’s budget negotiations. When asked Thursday what his top priorities were, Paterson listed reviving the upstate economy fi rst. That may indicate he will support the city-by-city and other upstate investment programs — although most of the focus has been not on the Albany area but on more depressed central and western New York. EDUCATION A CONCERN The second priority Paterson listed Thursday, both at a news conference and in an interview on Talk 1300 radio, was improving the schools in New York City. (His third priority was addressing the subprime mortgage crisis.) More money for the New York City schools was the goal of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity’s long legal fight against the administration of Gov. George Pataki, a fi ght that Paterson supported when he was a state senator representing Harlem and the Upper West Side of Manhattan. But in recent years, the CFE has had a statewide partner, the Alliance for Quality Education, that advocates boosting funding for high-needs school districts throughout the state, including in upstate cities such as Schenectady. Last year’s budget, Spitzer’s first, changed the education funding formula and increased spending enough to win the support of CFE and AQE, although they criticized his proposed budget this year. Paterson’s statements about the upstate economy and New York City schools sounded like an attempt to provide regional balance. But Errol Cockfield, Spitzer’s press secretary and a Paterson spokesman, said the incoming governor is concerned about education throughout the state, not just in New York City. That has been Paterson’s record, said AQE Executive Director Billy Easton. He also said the Assembly’s one-house budget this year is much preferable to the Senate’s, which he charged directs too high a share of funding to downstate suburban districts and “totally shortchanges upstate New York.” The Senate budget does, however, increase funding for the education formula by $47 million beyond what Spitzer proposed. Easton said the Assembly budget increases it more. The Assembly’s budget includes $1.5 billion in revenue from a temporary income tax surcharge on people making $1 million or more per year. Easton said AQE supports that tax hike. Republicans oppose it, as did Spitzer, but Paterson did not rule it out last week. While Paterson has been as or more liberal than Spitzer on most issues, the Alliance for School Choice issued a statement Friday praising his views on education reform and voicing enthusiasm that Paterson will work to improve educational opportunities for lowincome New Yorkers. GREETED BY OPTIMISM Paterson’s liberal record on criminal justice issues may have moderated in recent years. On Thursday, in response to a reporter’s question, he said he does take seriously the issue of the recent increase in paroles granted to violent offenders. The state Catholic Conference put out a statement praising Paterson, saying “we have had strong areas of agreement and strong areas of disagreement.” One of the latter is embryonic stem cell research, for which Paterson was assigned responsibility by Spitzer. As a state senator, Paterson was pro-choice, against the death penalty and supported same-sex marriage rights. Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar, said Paterson understands upstate, noting that he was one of the few New York City legislators to buy a house in the Capital Region. Paterson still lives in that Guilderland house when he’s in the area. Paterson, said Breslin, “is one of the most understated, smartest persons I’ve ever known.” Robert Farley, R-Glenville, minority leader of the Schenectady County Legislature, said that despite Paterson’s liberalism, his willingness to listen and a more conciliatory temperament than Spitzer’s bode well for budget negotiations. MIKE GROLL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Lt. Gov. David Paterson speaks in front of a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt during a news conference at the state Capitol in Albany Thursday. MIKE GROLL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Lt. Gov. David Paterson, right, and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, meet in the Senate Majority conference room at the state Capitol in Albany Friday. Paterson on Monday will replace Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned on Wednesday.
Paterson may actually prove more effective in negotiating a budget
New Yorkers should feel confident the state budget process may actually work well for the first time in years, given the idea that their future is potentially landing in such competent, experienced hands. I was very glad to read in the March 10 Daily Gazette an Associated Press article describing both the character and proven abilities of David Paterson as the next governor of New York. Especially learning he’s described as a technician, who is regarded as both honorable and decent. Having been a New York state senator, he must be familiar with the budget process and what works and what doesn’t; and as a described technician, will hopefully stay on task and be efficient and influence the senators and assemblymen to do the same — which, of course, would hit a high note with the people of New York, who placed their representatives in the Capitol and will judge whether to place them there again. Earning respect for a job well done may have fallen by the way side, but in the end, may count for much when honor and respect are considered. Going forward with the most healthy proposals, given the state’s economic condition propelled by a positive wind may keep New York’s engine running with cooperation and satisfaction being paramount to the present and future state of our state. To whomever is at the helm: Wasted time by “professional” public servants would be the least desirable, most repeated harm that New Yorkers would want to witness. CATHY CIMINO Duanesburg
Paterson becomes state's first black governor March 17, 2008 The Associated Press
Gov. David Paterson speaks to a joint session of the legislature Monday afternoon after being sworn in at the Assembly chamber at the state Capitol in Albany. Behind Paterson, from left, are Chief Judge Judith Kaye, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. ALBANY — David Paterson was officially sworn in as New York’s governor this afternoon, becoming the state’s first black chief executive and vowing to move past the prostitution scandal that has rocked the state Capitol. Paterson, who is legally blind, was interrupted several times during his address with thunderous applause. Before his speech, lawmakers in the ornate Assembly chamber gave him a two-minute standing ovation and chanted his name: “David! David! David!” “This transition today is an historic message to the world: That we live by the same values that we profess, and we are a government of laws, not individuals,” Paterson said. Paterson, 53, rose from the lieutenant governor’s office after Eliot Spitzer resigned last week amid allegations that he hired a call girl from a high-priced escort service. It was a dramatic fall for Spitzer, who was elected with an overwhelming share of the vote and who had vowed to root out corruption at the Capitol. Paterson inauguration To view Gov. David Paterson's inauguration at the state Capitol this afternoon, click here. Paterson, who becomes New York’s 55th governor, has said he will get right to work on the state budget and other matters. The Legislature faces an April 1 deadline to pass an estimated $124 billion budget. “We move forward. Today is Monday. There is work to be done,” Paterson said. “There was an oath to be taken. There’s trust that needs to be restored. There are issues that need to be addressed.” Paterson received a boisterous welcome and hearty applause for his calls for bipartisanship on other tough issues facing New York. He said health care, education, jobs and problems facing “the single mother with two jobs” needed immediate attention. He said it’s time for New York politicians to put power struggles aside in the interest of public service. “What we are going to do from now on is what we always should have done all along,” he said. “We’re going to work together.” Paterson spoke for 26 minutes — about half of it engaged in the banter and self-deprecating humor that helped define him as a lawmaker and lieutenant governor — without notes or teleprompter. The humor seemed aimed to move beyond the damage Spitzer did to relations between the executive and legislative branches. He playfully teased Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, whom Spitzer famously and profanely said he would steamroll, that he would teach him how to play basketball. Tedisco, an upstate Republican, was a basketball star at Union College. Lawmakers past and present, including presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and governors from three neighboring states, attended the ceremony. Spitzer was not in attendance and former aides said he was at his farmhouse in Columbia County, just south of Albany. “It is extraordinarily historic, but it is also a great moment of personal achievement for Gov. Paterson and I love the way he had his story connected with the story of New York,” said New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who walked out of the Assembly chamber with Paterson. “I really thought that he was able to take the moment about himself and really marry it to the challenges facing New York. And it was brilliant.” Paterson was Spitzer’s lieutenant governor for just 14 months. Before that, he was a Democratic state senator since 1985, representing parts of Harlem and Manhattan’s Upper West Side. He would be the first legally blind governor to serve more than a few days in office. His father, Basil, a former state senator representing Harlem and later New York’s first black secretary of state, was part of a political fraternity that included fellow Democrats U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, Dinkins and former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton. Federal prosecutors must still decide whether to pursue charges against Spitzer. The married father of three teenage girls was accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes — including a call girl “Kristen” in Washington the night before Valentine’s Day. The mood was ebullient Monday and most politicians said they were hopeful that Paterson can help the state recover from the shock of the past week. Paterson took the oath of office from Chief Judge Judith Kaye, who ascended to the pinnacle of the state’s highest court after former Chief Judge Sol Wachtler was caught in a scandal. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said New Yorkers are ready to put the scandal behind them. “I think most of us are optimistic that this could be a really terrific time for New York state and Albany with Gov. Paterson,” said Schumer, a Democrat. The Spitzer scandal has captured the nation’s attention and even made the opening skit of Saturday Night Live this weekend. In a phony law commercial, an actor playing Spitzer said he would take on any case because he couldn’t be embarrassed any more than he already was. The weekend before Spitzer’s resignation became official, St. Patrick’s day revelers at Albany’s parade were spotted wearing T-shirts labeling them as clients numbered one through nine. Identified as Client 9 in court papers, federal court papers say Spitzer paid for a prostitute to take a train in February from New York to Washington for an encounter at an upscale hotel. Paterson said he knows it’s an extraordinary event that has made him the governor of New York and that it’s been a challenging week for the state. While he’s not celebrating in Spitzer’s troubles, Paterson proudly reintroduced himself at the close of his speech: “I am David Paterson and I am the governor of New York!” The most important state business is the budget and with an expected debt of more than $4.6 billion, Paterson’s first test won’t be easy. Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno said the Democrat-led Assembly and his Republican majority in the Senate remain billions apart in budget negotiations, and “David is going to be right in the middle.” Sheldon Silver, talking to reporters on his way into the swearing-in, said adopting a budget will be the priority even with the recent turmoil. “It’s a daunting task, but I think with all the good will that’s created, with the leadership of David Paterson, we’re going to have a logical conclusion to a budget process,” he said. Rev. Al Sharpton said Paterson is “the most conservative” among black leaders in their generation. “I don’t think there’s a better person who can step into the gap, moral gap and economic gap, than David Paterson,” said Sharpton, who met with Paterson Monday morning.
I watched Gov. Paterson sworn in today. He gave a wonderful speech and has a great sense of humor. He appeared to be very comfortable in his new position. I hope he can make a positive difference in this state.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Text of Gov. Paterson's inaugural address Monday, March 17, 2008
ALBANY — Here is the complete text of Gov. David Paterson's inaugural address this afternoon: Thank you, all. NPR took a DNA test for me as they did in the program African Lives and they found a number of hits from Ireland and Scotland, so I want to wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. I would like to thank the Chief Judge Judith Kaye for administering that oath, the chief judge who I believe will go down in history as one of the greatest chief judges this State has ever had. I would like to thank Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, one of my dear friends for coming and speaking here today, and also, Monsignor Wallace Harris, my pastor, for delivering that invocation as well. I would like to thank my colleague in government who I now have forgiven for shooting me with a water gun a few years ago, the Attorney General for the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo. And I would like to thank a moderately popular comptroller in this chamber, the one and only comptroller, Tom DiNapoli. The last time I was in this chamber I was gaveling in for the State of the State and Speaker Silver had brought me in here to practice so I didn’t destroy anything in our first year. But in our second year, I said don’t bother, I know how to do this. Apparently, I was about to bring the gavel down on a glass, like this one. The speaker at the last second grabbed the gavel away from me and he told me in his own inimitable way, as only Shelly can, I will not allow you to turn the State of the State into a Jewish wedding. They had a Jewish hit in there too, Shelly. Thank you so much for your hospitality and for having all of us in the chambers today. I would also like to thank the members of the Assembly with the Speaker for having us, and members of the Senate who are coming to this swearing-in, and their leader, none other than my good friend, the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, Joseph L. Bruno. The other day we had lunch and he said “Listen, some evening, if you like it you should come out to the ranch and have dinner with me.” I’ll go. I’m going to take my taster with me. I’d also like to thank the Senate Minority, the conference, from which I first served as a State Senator for 21 years, and their very great leader, the man who has moved the conference beyond any place anyone ever thought it could go, the one and only Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith. And I would like to finally thank the leader of the Assembly Republican Conference in the New York State Assembly. He asked me other day when he came out of office, do you still play basketball, David? I told him, I don’t play basketball, Jimmy. Maybe, you’d like to come by for a lesson sometime. Jim Tedesco, Assembly Minority Leader. After some very difficult surgery, I don’t know if I am touched by the appearance of anyone else here today than to have back with us our former Governor, George Pataki. The Governor is looking very well, and he’s getting a lot better. Also with us today is former Governor Hugh L. Carey, everybody. Please greet former Lieutenant Governor - you know I had to get the former Lieutenant Governors announced - Stan Lundine. And a very good friend of mine and to all of you, our former Comptroller, Carl McCall. We have with us today both of our United States Senators, and we would like to present them right now. The senior Senator from the State of New York, and of course, arose from Brooklyn, Charles Schumer. And the junior Senator from New York who has a lot of places to go these days, and I’m so flattered that she would come join us today, none other than Senator Hillary Clinton. We’d also like to welcome all of the members of our congressional delegation. We hope that they are here. And we were trying to get the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel, to come. Is he with us today? All right. Well, he is in our thoughts. He’s recovering from a severe case of the flu, so far has not been able to be here. We have with us from New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg; former Mayor of New York City David N. Dinkins; and former Mayor of New York City, Edward I. Koch. And we’d like to thank all of the mayors and county executives and elected officials from around the state as well. We have some visitors with us today. We are so, so happy to have with us Governor Jon Corzine of New Jersey, and Governor Duval Patrick of Massachusetts. And someone who went through a circumstance somewhat similar to mine has given me advice and come to join me today, Governor Jodi Rell of Connecticut. Governor, how did you do it? I would like to introduce the former Secretary of State of New York and my father, Basil A. Paterson. My mother, Portia Paterson. And my second mom who serves as Michelle’s mother, Kaye Johnson. Speaking of Michelle, I want to introduce my wife and lifelong friend, Michelle Paige Paterson. Michelle and I have a different kind of a marriage. And I learned how different it was going to be about 15 minutes after I got married. I’m sure those of you men who got married, you remember the part about saying “I do,” you remember the part about taking pictures afterwards, and then getting in a limousine, but do you remember sitting next to the woman of your dreams and all of a sudden, a little girl comes and sits between the two of you. And I said, “Ashley, can I sit next to your mom?” And she said “No, I sat here first.” How do you convince a 4-year-old that you want to sit next to your wife? And I tried one more time. I said “Ashley, I just got married. Can I sit next to your mom?” She said, “Get over it, David.” And as I tried to get over it, that little girl has grown up to be my best friend, Ashley Dennis. And finally, I would like introduce a gentleman who got into the Beacon School which was his first choice this year. My son, Alexander Basil Paterson, who we call Alex. Ladies and gentleman, fellow New Yorkers. In so many ways, we woke this morning to a not so ordinary day. But in one way, we woke this morning to a New York dawn that is like every other one that came before it. For today, like we always do, in spite of the obstacles, regardless of the circumstances, we move forward. Of course, I never expected to have the honor of serving as Governor of New York State. But our constitution demands it. This transition today is an historic message to the world that we live among the same values that we profess, and that we are a government of laws and not individuals. Today we can be proud of our democracy. Now look folks, this has been a very difficult week. But there have been turbulent weeks in New York’s past, and there will be anxious weeks in our near future. But we move forward. Today is Monday. There is work to be done. There was an oath to be taken. There’s trust that needs to be restored. There are issues that need to be addressed. And all of us, as we set to us, must be aware of one truth that rise above all else. It’s that New York families are more challenges today than they were yesterday. And if we are going to build a viable future for New York, we are going to have to help single mothers who have two jobs. We are going to have to give children better schools and families who don’t have health care some redress. I learned about government right here in this Legislature. I studied the same issues and had the same experiences, hopes, and frustrations as so many other New Yorkers. I am chagrined at the high cost of education for my family. And the prohibitive price of health care. I have talked to New Yorkers for decades about the crumbling upstate economy, the crush of property taxes and the lack of affordable housing. These are issues that we will continue to focus and address, but we can do more. I have a vision for New York. It’s a New York where achievement is developed only from hard work, where doors are always open and where anyone can achieve no matter where they live. They call what we do public service for a reason: because it’s not politics. It’s not parties. It’s not power that counts at the end of the day. Those interests can vanish in a moment. It is the service that endures. It is service that is important. It is the service that is our mark. It is our measure. It is our record of performance. My colleagues, all of you in the Legislature, those who serve in the judiciary, State employees who work in our great agencies, isn’t that what called us to work in government in the first place? Then let us seize that poignant moment. Let us right here and now, let us grab the unusual opportunities that circumstance has handed us today, and put personal politics, party advantage and power struggles aside in favor of service, in the interests of the people. With the nation’s eyes upon him in 1964, Robert F. Kennedy once said, “No matter how talented an individual may be, no matter how much energy he might possess, regardless of how much integrity and honest he or she may have, if that person is alone, they can accomplish very little.” And so what we are going to do from now on is what we always should have done. We’re going to work together. With conviction in our brains and compassion in our hearts and love for New York on our sleeves, we will dedicate ourselves to principle but always maintain the ability to listen. And now, we look forward in this great State, we look forward with our eyes very much on the greatness of New York and we move forward, ever forward, together. To many of you, I am an unknown quantity. But that doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is what we are able to accomplish today, tomorrow and all the days ahead. It’s Monday and there’s work to be done. There’s a budget that needs to be passed, and we will pass it. We need a plan to put New Yorkers back to work and we will provide it. We have to battle the obstacle of doubt and uncertainty and we shall overcome it. Now, all of you in this room, I ask you to pause and focus on the problems or our great nation. Our economy appears to be headed toward crisis. In just the last 12 hours, one of the major investment houses with a storied career was sold at 10 percent of the price that it would have been worth on Friday. The Federal Reserve decreased interest rates by a quarter of a percentage in a desperate attempt to half a further meltdown. We are looking at the economy that is reeling, and I must say to all of you in government and all of you in business that you must meet with me in the next couple of weeks and adjust our budget accordingly. This may serve as bad news. This may be actions that we are often unaccustomed to taking, but our sworn duty is to uphold the interest of the people who sent us here and to make this state whole again. I believe that we can weather the storm. I have worked most of my life for New Yorkers and fought for New Yorkers. I believe that if we stand together, that our collective talent will bring us to a better period. We don’t know the path yet. But that’s because we haven’t blazed the trail. And I think you all know that I know a little bit about finding one’s way through the dark. Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in the borough of Brooklyn. I was educated on Long Island. Harlem is my home. This is where I learned love for family and appreciation for community. I have confronted the prejudice of race and challenged the issues of my own disability. I have served in government for over two decades. I stand willing and able to lead this state to a brighter future and a better tomorrow. Let me reintroduce myself. I am David Paterson and I am the Governor of New York State. Thank you. I want to thank all of you. All of you New Yorkers and our visitors, for coming here today and by your presence, giving New York a strength that we need at this time of transition. But we as New Yorkers can achieve. We are Asian, white, Hispanic and black. We are upper-middle class, and social service customers. We are homeowners, landlords, tenants, cooperators and even the homeless. We send our children to public and private schools. And yet, New Yorkers, in spite of the perceived problems inherent in our difference, we have an immense opportunity, if we start to look at who we are, what we are, and what we can be. God bless you all for coming today, and God bless the great State of New York. Thank you very much.
Report: New NY governor admits affair By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press Writer
ALBANY, N.Y. - With his predecessor's term doomed by a sex scandal, brand-new Gov. David Paterson tried to come clean about his own skeletons just hours after assuming office by acknowledging a years-old affair.
Paterson was sworn in almost exactly a week after allegations first surfaced that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer was "Client 9" of a high-priced call girl service. Responding to rumors circulating in Albany, Paterson and his wife, Michelle, told the Daily News of New York City that both had affairs during a rough patch in their marriage several years ago.
"This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point," Paterson told the Daily News. "But I went to counseling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on."
Paterson told the newspaper that he maintained a relationship with another woman from 1999 until 2001. He and his wife, Michelle, eventually sought counseling and repaired their relationship. The couple did not go into details.
Paterson and the other woman sometimes stayed at a Days Inn on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the governor said, adding that his Albany staff sometimes stayed there as well when they were in the city. Paterson said he did not use government or campaign funds to pay for the romantic encounters.
A spokesman for the governor did not immediately reply to requests for comment about Paterson's interview, which came hours after the governor assumed office with a message of unity. He became the state's first black chief executive and the nation's second legally blind governor.
"We move forward. Today is Monday. There is work to be done," Paterson said. "There was an oath to be taken. There's trust that needs to be restored. There are issues that need to be addressed."
Spitzer, according to ex-aides, was at his Columbia County farmhouse at the time of Paterson's swearing-in.
Where Spitzer's 14-month tenure was marked by partisan sniping, Paterson, a fellow Democrat, reached across the aisle in his remarks from the ornate Assembly chamber. The crowd gave the new governor a two-minute standing ovation and chanted "David! David! David!"
"What we are going to do from now on is what we always should have done all along," the former state senator said. "We're going to work together."
Legislators gave Paterson hearty applause when he called for cooperation, and laughs when he made playful jabs at Republican leaders.
He said of a dinner invitation from Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno, probably Spitzer's most bitter rival: "I'll go. I'm going to take my taster with me."
He teased Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, whom Spitzer famously and profanely said he would steamroll, that he would teach him how to play basketball. Tedisco, an upstate Republican, was a basketball star at Union College.
Paterson, 53, who becomes New York's 55th governor, has said he will get right to work. The Legislature faces an April 1 deadline to pass an estimated $124 billion budget, and Paterson also said that health care, education, jobs and problems facing "the single mother with two jobs" need immediate attention.
Before reluctantly accepting Spitzer's offer to run with him as lieutenant governor, Paterson was a Democratic state senator for more than two decades, representing parts of Harlem and Manhattan's Upper West Side.
His wife had tears in her eyes for most of the ceremony.
"Every time I hear David speak, I want to cry," she said afterward. "I'm just very happy I was able to live to see this day."
Politicians past and present, including presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and governors from three neighboring states, attended the ceremony.
Federal prosecutors must still decide whether to pursue charges against Spitzer. The married father of three teenage girls was accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes — including a call girl in Washington the night before Valentine's Day.
ALBANY — Just one day after being sworn in, Gov. David A. Paterson will sit down with state legislative leaders this afternoon to discuss the state budget at a meeting that will be broadcast live on the Web. Paterson to meet with state legislative leaders To watch Gov. David Paterson's meeting with leaders of the state Legislature to discuss the state budget live beginning at 3 p.m., click here. Paterson will meet at 3 p.m. in the Red Room at the Capitol with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith and Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.
At least he didn't pay for it. Or so he says. Frankly, it's hard to know what to believe about the rapidly evolving tales of marital infidelity being spun by David Paterson, New York's new governor. First Paterson told a friendly newspaper columnist that he and his wife, Michelle, had each had an extramarital affair. The credulous columnist bit. Then the truth - or at least some of it - began to trickle out. Early on yesterday, Paterson stuck to his original one-lover tale. Indeed, he insisted that was the operative number. Then the governor held a press conference - and swiftly the field expanded. There were "a number" of women involved, he confessed - though he never settled on an exact number. Moreover, according to the governor, at least two of the girlfriends were on the state payroll - though a spokesman later hastened to say that his boss actually had misspoken, and that only one was on the public pad. In PatersonLand, it seems, even he cannot keep track of the lovers without a scorecard. The person on the payroll apparently would be one Lila Kirton - now a $150,000 a year employee in the governor's Manhattan office. That is, she now works for Paterson. You would think that Kirton would have gotten an expeditious transfer to a different job, just for propriety's sake. You would be wrong. Asked about it at the press conference, Paterson said it would be up to Kirton whether she left the chamber staff. Way to get it wrong, gov. Then there's Diane Dixon, a 1988 Olympic medalist in track and field who says Paterson recently helped her get a job at the city Department of Education. As The Post's Frederic U. Dicker reports today, she says she has a close relationship with the new governor - though she felt it necessary to record a number of her telephone conversations with him. (No wonder Paterson yesterday said he was nervous about being blackmailed.) After being asked whether that was true, Paterson immediately called Dixon and left a message asking if she was talking to the press, she said yesterday. (A Paterson spokeswoman denied any romantic relationship. Maybe that admission is being held back for tomorrow.) Meanwhile, Paterson insists he "didn't break the law," did not "use state funds" and did not "knowingly use campaign funds" in his extramarital affairs. He decided to come forward, he said, so that he could govern "with a free hand" - without any fear of being "compromised." "We can now walk around knowing that we cleared the air," he said. Wrong again. For one thing, who knows what other shoes are going to drop? For another, the air is far from clear. (See above, ex-lover still on Executive Chamber payroll.) And, anyway, clear air just makes it easier to see the stunning incompetence that made such a hash of the new governor's first 24 hours in office. Not ready for prime time? That would be a giant step up in class for David Paterson and his bumblers. Bad enough that yesterday's headlines didn't focus on the post-Spitzer good will that washed over Paterson after Monday's inaugural speech in Albany. Today's papers won't be any better. And, given the prevarications that permeated the governor's public statements yesterday, heaven only knows what tomorrow will bring. David Paterson needs to take a deep breath, resolve to tell the full truth about girlfriends past and present - he brought up the subject, after all - and then go ahead and do it. Tell the truth, that is. His incumbency is hanging in the balance, and he doesn't have much time left.
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