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Remember These Words?

by: Roatti

Tue Apr 07, 2009 at 17:37:19 PM EDT

In this video at the 2007 Reform Day, then-LT Paterson boldly stated that "we can do better" regarding the process by which the 2007-08 budget was passed. After Paterson became Governor, Phillip noted of Paterson:

I thought it might worth digging out the video I shot at Reform Day in Albany last April. It shows an extremely bright, talented and very funny Lt. Governor, a man with an impressive grasp of reform issues and a man willing to level criticism at the very Executive branch of which he is a part. Paterson is a genuine reformer and it shows.

At the time, that is a statement I and just about everybody on this blog agreed with and continued to agree with in the early days of Paterson's tenure as Governor. I myself called Paterson the "realest reformer". After the secret way the 2008-09 budget was passed, I gave Paterson a mulligan as he had been in office less than a month at the time.

Well, this year there are no excuses. While there is a lot of good in this year's budget- namely the millionaire's tax and the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill- the secrecy in which this budget was dictated by the 3 men in a room is frankly a betrayal of the trust that reformers had placed in Paterson. We can do better, a lot better. But we haven't.

Roatti :: Remember These Words?

Tags: David Paterson, Reform, (All Tags)

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Remember These Words? | 14 comments

wow. (4.00 / 2)

my bad. sorry, y'all.

TODAY is day one. It always is.

by: phillip anderson @ Tue Apr 07, 2009 at 21:41:35 PM UTC

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Please (4.00 / 2)

We all agreed with you. I called Paterson the "realest reformer." No one could have predicted this.

by: Roatti @ Tue Apr 07, 2009 at 21:54:39 PM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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the real test of a reformer in Albany (4.00 / 2)

is what they do when they get power.

So far, we all keep hoping, but they just aren't really coming through for us.

by: simonstl @ Tue Apr 07, 2009 at 23:17:39 PM UTC

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Ya know.... (4.00 / 3)

Paterson is getting embarrassing. I don't get it, actually. People usually think I am too cynical, not too trusting. But, like Simon says, we keeping hoping, but they aren't coming through for us. I really believed he would make an effort to change the process. As it stands now, I'm wondering if he slipped something in there to give outrageous retirement bonuses to Governors who leave office with approval ratings below 20%.....

by: robinia @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 00:29:48 AM UTC

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Smith is the hope for reform. Need to support him and move forward. (4.00 / 2)

I'm not sure you can judge Paterson w/out considering the dynamic of the Senate. No question: the Governor's plummeting ratings (undeserved to some extent--wasn't Pataki much worse?) rendered him too weak. The budget was not inspired--no millionaire's tax in Gov's budget but lots of silly taxes. Paterson was in no position to reform.

A major roadblock to reform was the Senate's position. The repubs' sole motivation was to make Smith look like a failure. Working for the good of their constituents? No way. They--and the media-- bet on Smith to fail to get the votes he needed. His was a shallow victory b/c he didn't have the luxury to demand substantive changes that would have made the budget suck less. Or demand transparency in the process. Hard to do when the wolves are at the door. But there's hope.

Isn't the way to reform a stronger Senate majority in 2010? Once Smith has 2 or even 1 more strong Dems he can afford to make demands. Maybe I'm naive but I think that's where the reform will come from. Smith seems to have emerged as a stronger than expected leader--the one who will change Albany. Or is that just partisan wishful thinking?

by: LOBlue @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 03:10:58 AM UTC

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Hmm... (4.00 / 1)

Might not be partisan thinking so much as that "hope" Simon and I were talking about. But, yeah, I hope that, too.

by: robinia @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 12:22:35 PM UTC

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That is the hope (4.00 / 1)

but only time will tell, and with the track record of everyone else so far, I'm not optimistic

by: Roatti @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 15:09:05 PM UTC

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PS Millionaire's tax--thank the Assembly! nt (4.00 / 1)

by: LOBlue @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 10:29:24 AM UTC

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These days the Assembly is the only part of the state govt (4.00 / 1)

that I am somewhat proud of. How times have a-changed

by: Roatti @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 15:10:11 PM UTC

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Have faith. (4.00 / 1)

The Assembly has been, for ages, a body of progressive legislators. With a little time the Senate will make us proud.

Am I alone in feeling the Senate Repubs are getting a big pass from the media on their obstructionist ways? It's a much better story than kicking around the Gov. who has been on message lately and sounding chipper. There's hope. It's spring!

by: LOBlue @ Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 21:38:57 PM UTC

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