Thank you, David Paterson.
It’s still a little unclear who will be at Monday’s ceremony unveiling the new Crown Point bridge, but it appears that the man who made it all possible won’t be on hand.
I’m talking now about David Paterson, the once and accidental governor of New York.
Now a radio talk show host, Paterson inherited a grim fiscal and political nightmare when Eliot Spitzer’s bizarro behavior became, well, too bizarre and too public.
I’m convinced that Paterson, in his clumsy, self-immolating way, will be remembered as the guy who set the stage for Andrew Cuomo’s remarkable run.
It was Paterson who first decided to take a tough line with the public employee unions. It was Paterson who implemented widespread lay-offs, while forcing deep cuts in local spending.
It was Paterson who first pushed for a property tax cap, though his ceiling was set at 4% rather than 2%.
In politics, sadly, big ideas are like big gusts of wind. They don’t mean anything unless they tip something over. And Paterson was infamous for bouncing off things without much effect.
But he did get one big thing done. When the Crown Point bridge was condemned abruptly after decades of neglect, he threw the full weight of his government behind solving the problem.
An unabashedly downstate governor kicked into gear, tackling a dilemma that was hyper-localized in one valley of the North Country. Local leaders were thrilled and, I think, more than a little surprised.
Almost overnight, a seven-year clock for replacing the bridge was slashed to two years. A temporary (and free) ferry crossing was cobbed together in remarkable time. Financial aid was offered to local businesses.
At a time when the state DOT faced budget constraints in every part of New York, the Lake Champlain bridge was a spare-no-expense priority. That took leadership.
Maybe it’s sentimental, but I hope David Paterson will be there Monday afternoon when the ribbon is cut.
This is a guy who, for all his flaws, deserves a victory lap, deserves a moment of real recognition for being the man on the job when the crisis struck.
Tags: champlainvalley, economy, politics, transportation
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Agreed! He was a much-maligned but well-intentioned governor who will be remembered more positively in years to come (even if his accomplishments were meagre).
Brain, this is clearly an opinion piece. maybe this bridge being rebuild was a bad idea. I share your opinion that is was a good one. But that isn’t news.
Yup, he was making the rights noises and even showed some spine but his party didn’t support him. The leaders wanted their own press. The cutting of the timeline should be a model for projects, maybe it was more expensive but it probably avoided the inflation factor. It also makes me question all the woe about crumbling infastructure. This one had to be condemned pronto. Well rank all the other problems. If it is close to condemndation then attack it. This was not a shovel ready project but it didn’t take long to find shovels.
Perhaps name it for him.
Best sex-harasser since Herman Cain! Puts Clinton to shame! And never met a Yankee ticket he didn’t like! Must be in the front row!
Yeah, OA, but I’ll still take the bridge, and credit the guy who made it happen.
Brian, gotta watch that opinion stuff. It’s creeping back. And you know how to fix it:
“SHOULD New Yorkers be thanking David Patterson? SOME ARE SAYING that Paterson, in his clumsy, self-immolating way, will be remembered as a guy who did a lot of good things for the state at a very difficult time.”
And so forth.
Not that you honestly presenting opinions bothers me in the least.