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Is NY’s “accidental governor” ready to step down yet?

David Paterson appears to have some ethics problems.  From allegations of interference in a domestic abuse case, New York’s governor has moved right on up to accepting gifts.  Allegedly.

From the Watertown Daily Times:

New York’s Public Integrity Commission has charged embattled Gov. David Paterson with an ethics violation involving a gift of free Yankees tickets for the 2009 World Series that could cost him nearly $100,000 in penalties.

The commission states Paterson may also have given false testimony in the case now being turned over to the Albany County District Attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

So the question now is, in the midst of all this scandal, is he even capable of performing the duties of governor?  The state is in the midst of a major budget crisis.  Already economically depressed areas are being threatened with further cuts and job loss by the State — his latest budget includes dumping a prison facility near the NY-Canadian border, and the hundreds of jobs that go with it — and it would seem that, what with the allegations and investigations and all, he may not have time to deal with everything.

At this point, politics has to take a back seat.  We need a governor in New York who can deal with being a Governor.

(Cross posted at The Minority Report)

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COMMENTS

  • skully

    Lt. Gov Ravitch (appointed by Paterson amid Senate coup last summer) has never been elected to any office. No one expects him to be effective if he is elevated.
    So why the big push, mostly by Democrats, to get Paterson out of office? He is, after all, the legit governor. Even if the charges against him are true, they are pretty lame when compared to what has become NY’s standard of questionable ethics.
    So, again, why the push to rid us of Paterson?
    Now that NY’s highest court has ruled that the sitting gov can appoint a Lt., nothing will stand in the way of Ravitch appointing, say, Cuomo. Then Ravitch can resign, leaving Cuomo as the incumbent.
    Sounds far-fetched, I know. But this IS New York.
    I want Paterson to serve out the term. Sometimes it IS about the devil you know.