EDITORIAL: Paterson ticket scandal a serious matter

It's hard to fault a sitting governor for attending the opening game of the World Series. Cheering on the home team is a time-honored dividend of office. But like anything else, this game must be played by the rules.

An independent counsel, former state Chief Judge Judith Kaye, said last week that criminal charges may be warranted following Gov. David A. Paterson's attendance at the late-October 2009 ball game at Yankee Stadium. Kaye's concern arises from testimony she called, at a minimum, "inaccurate and misleading." It isn't whether he paid for the tickets, but whether Paterson lied about it afterward to a state commission.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares is following up with a further examination of the case, and no one should cast judgment before the results are released. But this incident shouldn't be dismissed as too much fuss about five tickets. That would reinforce the lax ethical culture of Albany, which is in need of more guidelines, not fewer. The Kaye report identified an absence of clear policies for the governor and his staff, for example, about ticket acquisition.

Kaye's report sounds yet another discouraging note for a state government that has been riddled with them. To Paterson's critics, the report may reinforce the idea that he has a troubled relationship with the truth. But New York faces far more crucial issues, such as uncertain budget numbers and looming deficits. We need to keep our eye on that ball, too. hN