NYC may get boost if Lt. Gov. Paterson new guv

By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer
More stories | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

March 12, 2008

New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson attends the opening night of "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," in this March 6, 2008 photo, in New York. Attention turned to Paterson immediately after word surfaced, Monday, March 10, 2008, that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been linked to a high-priced prostitution ring. If Spitzer quits, Paterson automatically becomes governor and would complete Spitzer's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

Local elected officials said they expected Lt. Gov. David Paterson to carry on much of the Spitzer agenda if he becomes governor, but hoped the city's concerns would get a more attention under his watch.

"David is from New York, that means New York would have more consideration than other areas," said City Councilman Robert Jackson (D- Manhattan,) whose Harlem district Paterson represented for 20 years in the state Senate. "You always consider home base and that's home base."

Jackson added that Harlem could expect to get more consideration in Albany under a Governor Paterson.

"If I'm a commissioner of the state D.O.T. or social service agency and there were needs in the district, knowing David comes from that area I think they would look at it with a little more favor," he said.

Spitzer clashed repeatedly with City Hall, most recently proposing a budget that would slash state funds for the city.

Last year, the governor lashed out at Mayor Michael Bloomberg when he disagreed with Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

"He is wrong at every level," Spitzer said at the time. "Dead wrong, factually wrong, legally wrong, morally wrong, ethically wrong."

Paterson, 53, who is nearly blind from an infection when he was an infant, comes from a family with deep roots in Harlem politics. His father, Basil Paterson, was a state senator and deputy mayor.

David Paterson, meanwhile, was first elected to the state senate in a special election in 1985, and was elected minority leader of the senate in 2002.

He came up through the minor leagues of government," said state Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn.) "No matter how this turns out, we are fortunate to have a No. 2 in government who is as competent and as well-liked as he is."

Adams is a former New York City police officer, and said he worked with Paterson to add greater diversity to the city's law enforcement agencies.

With the notoriously dysfunctional legislature about to negotiate a new budget, many thought the even-keeled Paterson the ideal person to assume the role of state's top lawmaker.

"He's probably the right guy to bring people together at this present moment," said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. "A big difference between him and Spitzer, besides temperament and background, is that he has served in the legislature and knows how it works."

Spitzer, despite coming into office last year with nearly 70% of the vote, saw his reform agenda frequently derailed because he was unable to get along fellow lawmakers.

Many said they were looking forward to a different approach to governing that a Paterson administration could bring.

"I think he'll be a different type of reformer than Eliot Spitzer was," said state Sen. Martin Connor (D-Brooklyn), who Paterson ousted for the minority leader's chair in 2002.

"He won't be as focused on real tough criminal justice measures, but I got a feeling the public won't be looking for that. They have seen where that leads."