David Paterson is emerging as one of the most enigmatic governors in New York history.<\/p>\n
Elevated to power by scandal, he has inherited one of the most catastrophic budget crises in the state’s history.<\/p>\n
He has shown real prescience, and political courage, in confronting the implosion of tax revenues that followed the meltdown on Wall Street.<\/p>\n
But Paterson has also proved himself largely incapable of wielding the sort of political power in Albany that might salvage the situation. <\/p>\n
In an interview with NCPR, he dismissed opponents within his own Democratic Party as “childish” and “ignorant.”<\/p>\n
Those might be reasonable criticisms, but they hardly suggest the kind of walk-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick dealmaker’s approach that our legislative system demands.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Paterson has embraced a series of clumsy and unpopular revenue measures (license plate renewals the most prominent) that only serve to anger voters. <\/p>\n
Now he’s asked lawmakers to simply abdicate their constitutional role in the budget process. <\/p>\n
Some of this disarray reflects Paterson’s lack of a personal mandate. He is, put bluntly, an accidental governor.<\/p>\n
He’s widely seen in Albany as a dead politician walking, his poll numbers in the toilet, with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo waiting impatiently in the wings.<\/p>\n
It’s nearly impossible for Paterson to surround himself with the kind of power players that politicians need to get things done. <\/p>\n
The best and the brightest (and most influential) Albany operators are unlikely to climb aboard his ship at this late hour.<\/p>\n
But for all his missteps and misfires, the Governor still has one thing going for him: He seems to be right.<\/p>\n
No one has mounted a convincing argument that he is overreacting or over-estimating the magnitude of the crisis.<\/p>\n
And no one has suggested a superior menu of budget options.<\/p>\n
One thing is certain. Albany can’t wait until after the 2010 elections to sort this mess out. <\/p>\n
Between the rock of a clumsy, unpopular governor and the hard place of our dysfunctional legislature, New York state is walking a narrow and dangerous path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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