New York Governor David Patterson: Day One, Minus One! Everthing Changes!
What a difference one year makes. On March 13, 2007, former Governor Eliot Spitzer bullied and pushed through some of the most anti-labor workers' compensation reforms in the history of the New York Workers' Compensation Law. As conceded by his own former administration, over 750 million dollars were taken out of the pockets of struggling injured workers and their families. And why would a liberal New York Governor known for crusading against insurance companies give big business such a big, wet kiss at the expense of injured workers?
One commentator has suggested that someone at the Business Council of New York State may have had Eliot's number long before the US Attorney did. Far fetched? Maybe, but who would have bet two weeks ago that Eliot Spitzer, of all people, would have been brought down in disgrace by criminal, unethical and immoral conduct?
That's why it was so refreshing to watch new Governor David Patterson's first address live on CNN's Internet streaming video this afternoon. When he boldly announced, "Let me re-introduce myself - my name is David Patterson and I am the Governor of New York!", it was with a sense of pride and excitement - shared by all in attendace and viewing from afar. His address was serious without being somber, humorous without being light-weight , and most importantly, stressed "public service" rather than "politics". His story about, and imitation of, Shelly Silver, Speaker of the Assembly, preventing the new Governor's gavel from turning a legislative session into a Jewish wedding was hilarious and self-deprecating at the same time. No wonder legislators on both sides of the aisle like this guy! As we said, what a difference one year makes.
So what does a Governor Patterson administration mean for injured workers? Well, first, lets remember that David Patterson is the son of one of New York's most respected labor-side mover and shakers, former New York Secretary of State, Basil Patterson. Basil Patterson has a long relationship with Local 1199/SEIU, the historically progressive and always powerful NYC health care workers union, made up of largely of lower wage minorities. (Full Disclosure - the Workers' Compensation Alliance's long-time Counsel, Richard Winsten, is Basil Patterson's partner at the politically astute law firm of Meyer Suozzi English & Klein) .
But it goes far deeper than that. Governor David Patterson was raised in the atmosphere of, and operates comfortably in, the politics of his father's generation and the Harlem political scene. The dignitaries present at his swearing in today were a "who's who" of a different element of the Democratic party than those recognized in the former Spitzer administration. Besides his father, Gov. Patterson recognized , among others, former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, former State Comptroller Carl McCall, former Governor Hugh Carey, former Mayor Ed Koch and Senator Chuck Schumer, sometimes to thunderous applause. Had it not been for a severe cold, the old sly fox and Washington power broker, Congressman Charlie Rangel, would have been their also. Even Senator Hillary Clinton took a day off the campaign trail to be present. Even if it was just for nostalgic purposes, a resurgence of the old democratic guard was on display. Many of Spitzer's former top aides and agency heads are already on the way out of State government. Expect them to be replaced by a greater percentage of minorities from backgrounds far different than Fifth Avenue and Princeton.
As the new Governor humbly acknowledged, he did not seek the Governorship of the great Empire State. Yet here he is, and the New York Workers' Compensation Alliance warmly welcomes him with the hope that the most vulnerable among us - the injured and disabled - have an empathetic friend who, more than some others, understands both their plight and their dreams.