Governor’s final 10 months will solidify his legacy
Still time to get much done on governor’s watch.
Gov. David Paterson, sworn in as governor two years ago Wednesday, should use his remaining months in office to fight more forcefully than ever for tax-weary New Yorkers.
Yes, that’s a lot easier said than done, considering Paterson’s challenges — three open investigations that could lead to his resignation or criminal charges. But Paterson has been adamant that he will be vindicated.
As New Yorkers await the outcomes, the state’s $9 billion budget deficit must remain Paterson’s No. 1 priority. The fact that he closed unprecedented budget gaps of more than $30 billion during his tenure is certainly commendable. But frankly, it’s not enough.
The governor unveiled his proposed budget in January and he’s right that the ball’s in the Legislature’s court. Still, he must push harder to get a new state budget adopted, though it’s unlikely to happen before the April 1 deadline.
Town hall meetings in Manhattan and Westchester County at least gave the governor a public platform to talk about legislative inaction. He should schedule similar meetings upstate, particularly here in Rochester where this page’s Fed up with Albany campaign continues to show rising public outrage.
The latest was a finding by the Democrat and Chronicle’s Albany bureau. Despite the recession, the state Senate added 161 new staff positions and provided generous pay raises after last summer’s leadership coup. The increased personnel expense is expected to cost New Yorker’s at least $7.4 million in these tough times.
Pushing forward with dark clouds over his head makes challenging Albany dysfunction all the more difficult. But until final judgments are in on what Paterson did and/or didn’t do, New Yorkers can’t afford to have a lame-duck governor. He needs to keep that front of mind as thoughts of his legacy start to rush in.
