Is Governor Paterson getting a bum rap?
Our Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt reports this morning on Governor David Paterson's persistently stagnant poll numbers.
Stagnant doesn't do his popularity justice. People really dislike this governor. Polls show that even African Americans -- once his most loyal constituents -- have soured on his leadership.
So here's my question: How come? What has Paterson done that New Yorkers don't like?
Yes, he's raising taxes and cutting services. The state is deep in debt.
Yes, he's laying off union workers and mothballing prisons. Did I mention that the state is really, really deep in debt?
Are we voters guilty of shooting the messenger? Are we dising a courageous leader who's making the hard but necessary choices?
And if you think Paterson really is a bum, what would you have a new governor -- Cuomo? Giuliani? -- do differently?
Comments welcome...
posted by Brian Mann @ 5/18/2009 08:24:00 AM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
I continue to have hope in Paterson.
He is trying to deal with a very messy situation. Unfortunately, he is getting very little help from those in his own party in either the Assembly or the Senate. The general public can rationalize "one target" easier than looking to hold the legislators accountable.
Paterson has received little to no help from what should the Democrat's base, the unions. They have enriched themselves on the backs of the taxpayers and are not willing to change their practices. The unions would rather lose membership than to agree to concessions. Where is the wisdom in that?
Don't expect the school systems or the counties to curb spending to any significant level. These are not people who are used to "running a business";and that is the type of mentality that is needed now.
There is a popular phrase that I have used with children to teach the problem with not taking responsibility for what is going on around you. "Everybody agreed that Somebody should do something about the problem, but Nobody did." That is exactly what we have in NYS right now. All parties agree that we need to reduce spending, but nobody wants to share in the sacrifice. It all must come from someplace else.
From the perspective of a former state worker (retired), he's not using common sense. For example he threatens to lay off state workers unless they accept contract concessions that he demands. No discussion. My way or the highway.
State employee unions have made suggestions that would save the state as much or more than the layoffs but he refused to even consider those ideas. In a layoff he might save some on workers funded with state money but he's threatening to lay off state workers who are federally funded too.
That makes no sense. He can't keep that federal money if he lays them off. He has to give it back to the feds because the state is no longer providing the services the feds are paying for. To make matters worse the state would have to pay the laid off workers unemployment benefits from state UI funds. If the state runs out of UI funds they have to borrow from the feds, then pay it back with interest.
That's a lose, lose, lose scenario. Workers lose their jobs and income, the communities they live in lose the money the workers spend, the public at large loses services, the state budget loses the federal $$ that funded the positions plus creating a drain on the state UI fund.
To top it off the total budget is up more than he wants to save with layoffs. So where is the extra money going? There are ways to save money but a more open discussion is needed if people are going to buy into it.
The governor is unpopular. WE GET IT! How many times is the media going to shove this down our throats?
Every week, there's a new "story" (or perhaps "new" should be in sarcastic quotes) about a poll showing how unpopular he is. How often is the media going to tell the same story?
Is the media so lazy and hard up for ideas that they just drag out another poll to faux analyze every time they can't thing of anything better to report on?
The governor's unpopularity is partly due to bad circumstances but also in no small part to mistakes of his own making. But when the 'news' that people are constantly being subjected to non-stop is about his low poll ratings (as opposed to real news stories), that's the main thing people are being exposed to.
Do these poll stories once in a while, not every single week for crying out loud.
Paterson is the victim of vote buying politics. Voters want more and more services and, by the way, lower taxes.
I back Paterson on all the cuts he wants to make and would suggest he cut state employees even more than proposing, and cut the pay of anyone making more than what he is paid - cut it to no more than what he is paid.
The old argument that you get what you pay for has been proven false in banking and on Wall Street. It is even being proved false in sports and entertainment.
Slash and burn, and cut all mandates!
There is no question that Governor Paterson is "getting a bum rap."
He's been thrown into a tumultuous economic situation; he heads a state government that's notorious for its corruption; he's both black and blind; and he's willing to speak out on divisive issues (marriage equality, combating obesity).
All of the above contribute to the media's perpetually negative narrative. Do a google news search and tally up the number of positive vs. negative stories on the gov. It's overwhelming.
Even the good accomplishments of his term: passing the budget on time, finding a solution to the MTA fiasco--these are very positive accomplishments that the media have successfully spun to be blunders on his record.
I have continued to see so many things that the Governor has done well. I am so disapointed in the media that just doesn't seem to realize that they can if they choose to look at the good that the Governor has done or has tried to do. It is evident when his own party bucks the good that he wants to do.
How can people who were alive during the cival rights era vote no on same sex marriage. I agree with the Governor that this is a cival rights issue.
After all why are people so afraid of everyone enjoying the same rights.
keep up the good work Governor and expect my white male vote when you run for Governor.
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