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 Supporters
Statement of Support for the Re-election of Governor George Pataki I am pleased to announce my support for the re-election of Governor George Pataki, and to accept the position of Vice Chair of Democrats for Pataki, an official arm of the Friends of Pataki Campaign Committee. Extraordinary times command extraordinary action. This undoubtedly is an extraordinary time as we seek to rebuild our City and State in the aftermath of September 11. And for me, a lifelong Democrat who has spent many of my adult years serving the Democratic Party, both in New York and nationally (including my tenure as Law Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee under two Democratic governors and three state chairs), this indeed is an extraordinary personal act. I want to tell you why I have decided to do this. George Pataki has compiled an outstanding record as Governor. Over these past seven years, he has demonstrated that he is a truly impressive chief executive. Each year he has carefully crafted a discrete number of well-targeted, progressive agenda items and then he has deployed his considerable personal talents and political skills to achieve these priorities. I have seen the Governor do this in a number of areas that are of concern to me as a Democrat. Some examples: expanding access to quality health care; providing $8.5 billion of committed funds to protect the environment and position our State among the national leaders in land conservation; and enacting education initiatives such as the successful “Teachers of Tomorrow” program to add a substantial number of qualified teachers for all New York’s schools. I speak with firsthand knowledge of the Governor’s record in the vital area of economic development. I am proud to have personally participated in some of Governor Pataki’s most important achievements in transportation as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, appointed by his predecessor, Governor Mario Cuomo. Under Governor Pataki’s leadership, we refocused the Port Authority’s mission on transportation specifically, the massive rebuilding program for JFK Airport including the new Air Train, the rehabilitation improvements at LaGuardia, and innovations in ferry commutation, among others. The Governor also was steadfast in his insistence that New York’s Port Authority commissioners ‘hold the line’ in dealing with our New Jersey counterparts to correct an imbalance in allocating Authority revenues between New York and New Jersey that had developed over the years. As a result, New Yorkers are assured of receiving our fair share of the agency’s capital and operating dollars. This is the nitty-gritty of government. Take it from me: this Governor knows how to get things done and he gets them done. The Governor’s leadership in this post-9/11 era is worthy of special mention. All New Yorkers need to appreciate how valuable it is, and will continue to be, for our State to have a chief executive like George Pataki who has the ear of the “other” George in Washington, the President of the United States. Our two Democratic United States Senators have done a first-rate job fighting to keep New York and our needs at the forefront of the nation’s agenda in the face of competing demands from other states and regions of the country. But make no mistake; when it appeared the Administration might be backing away from the President’s pledge to give New York the $20 billion we so desperately need, no amount of lobbying and speechmaking by our Senators was able to produce an explicit statement reaffirming the pledge. That came only in a Presidential visit to New York, as George W. Bush stood at the side of George Pataki. The recent bipartisan gathering at the White House to announce the specifics of how the President’s commitment will be fulfilled further demonstrates what New York can achieve when Democrats and Republicans work together for a common cause. It underscores why we must continue to have a strong, bipartisan team in New York and in Washington, and why I believe that George Pataki must remain at the helm in Albany at a time when we depend to such a great extent on financial support from a Republican administration in Washington.
I encourage all New York voters, especially Democrats, to put aside Party affiliation and engage in what for them may be an extraordinary personal act as it is for me: actively supporting George Pataki during the gubernatorial campaign, and casting your vote to re-elect the Governor this November when it really will count for all of New York.
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