Espada Offers Paterson "Pearls of Wisdom"
December 10th, 2009
“My mommy taught me not to disparage people in public. So I want to share those pearls of wisdom with the Governor during this holiday season,” said Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, responding to comments Gov. David Paterson made about him on the Brian Lehrer show.
“When Senator Espada makes a decent point in his life I will respond to it,” Paterson told Lehrer. Paterson went on to imply that Espada had been more interested in pandering to the public than in protecting the state’s finances. Paterson has repeatedly slammed the deficit reduction package agreed on by the Senate and Assembly.
Paterson himself was responding to comments Espada made earlier this week where he suggested Paterson has been attacking the legislature to help boost his poll numbers.
Espada didn’t necessarily follow his own advice about public disparagement.”The citizenry did not elect him to be governor,” said Espada. “Ninety-nine percent of us were elected by the people, but he wants to do his job and our job,” said Espada, referring to Paterson’s pledge to withhold local aid payments.
Espada said he thought the delay in payments would impact his district in a “huge way.”
“To delay payments is to pass the burden down to the municipalities,” said Espada. “This is the new version of trickle-down, where they push the pain down to the most vulnerable. He is on a slippery slope constitutionally, and frankly I think he is being irresponsible and reckless.”
The breakdown of what funds will be withheld is expected to be issued by the budget division in the next few days. Espada’s colleagues are expected to sue Paterson if he goes ahead with the plan to withhold aid.
Espada went on to defend the deficit reduction package that the legislature passed. He said Paterson’s deficit reduction plan would have cost New York 12,000 jobs. “How would that have helped the economy?” Espada asked.
Espada also attacked Paterson’s recent defense of Wall Street. “The truth of the matter is America has invested too much in Wall Street and too little in the housing market or Main Street. People are losing their homes. People are losing their jobs.”
By David King on December 10, 2009, 5:53 pmIn category: Albany, Eye on Albany | No Comments »



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