[Iabs-talk] Fwd: [blindlaw] New York's lieutenant governor, a blind lawyer,

[AZNOR99 at aol.com]

____________________________________
 From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov
Reply-to: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
To:  blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Sent: 3/12/2008 10:28:00 A.M. Central Daylight  Time
Subj: [blindlaw] New York's lieutenant governor, a blind  lawyer,



>From the Justice For All sidebar  blurb:

First Blind Governor of New York? 

In the wake of  yesterday's breaking news of New York Governor Elliot
Spitzer's involvement  in a prostitution ring, many top aides to Spitzer
expect his resignation.  

If Governor Spitzer does resign, Lt. Governor David A. Paterson, who  is
legally blind, would become the state's first black, first  blind
governor. 

A bit more about Mr. Paterson:

Link to NY  Times  profile:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/david_a_pat
erson/index.html?inline=nyt-per

Text:
David  A. Paterson
Stewart Cairns for The New York Times

David A. Paterson  was elected lieutenant governor of New York in
November 2006 on the ticket  led by Eliot Spitzer. Previously, Mr.
Paterson had served as the minority  leader of the state Senate. The
scion of a prominent Harlem political  family, Mr. Paterson was born
legally blind and worked as a prosecutor  before entering politics. 

Mr. Paterson's decision to become Mr.  Spitzer's running mate stunned
many in Albany. With the growing strength of  Democrats in statewide
elections, it seemed only a matter of time before  his party took over
the chamber, allowing him to join the ruling  triumvirate in Albany and
take his seat with the governor and the Assembly  speaker to decide
between them how New York State is governed. By contrast,  the lieutenant
governor's post brings with it no power and little prestige.  

Mr. Paterson explained the decision in terms the few  lieutenant
governors who had been given a real role, saying he wanted to be  an
"extension'' of Mr. Spitzer. Others close to him spoke of the  enviable
position he would be in if there was a chance to move up. If,  for
instance, Hillary Clinton were to become president, Mr. Spitzer  would
appoint a replacement to complete her term. Mr. Paterson  has
demonstrated political skills and good timing in the past; he became  the
minority leader in the Senate by pulling off a coup, which is a  rare
feat in Albany. 

As the leader of the Democratic minority in  the Senate, Mr. Paterson has
tried to make up for his lack of power with  wit, flurries of reform
proposals and unusual bursts of candor, a  combination that has made him
a quotable presence in a Capitol where such  leaders are often ignored as
irrelevant. He worked on making inroads with  national Democrats,
traveling to Washington to meet with Congressional  leaders. And here,
where much of what passes for legislative humor is of  the backslapping
variety, Mr. Paterson's stands out. 

Take his  request at a recent news conference on government reform.
"Anyone else in  this Capitol that's telling you about the reform that
they're doing, I want  you to give me their names, we're going to bring
them to this conference  room, and we're going to beat them up," he said,
with a straight face.  

Mr. Paterson was born to politics. His father, Basil, represented  the
same Harlem district that his son later did, and ran unsuccessfully  for
lieutenant governor in 1970. The younger Mr. Paterson was raised at  the
knees of much of Harlem's old guard. He also grew up legally  blind,
after an infection as an infant that left him totally without sight  in
his left eye and with severely limited sight in his right. His  family
moved to Long Island, where they found a school that agreed to  educate
him in regular classrooms. He graduated from high school in three  years,
went to college at Columbia and graduated from Hofstra Law School.  

When he was elected Senate minority leader, Mr. Paterson recalled  the
discrimination he had suffered because he is disabled. "So I have  had
this desire my whole life to prove people wrong, to show them I could  do
things they didn't think I could do," he said. "This is just another."  

--March 10,  2008
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-------------- next part --------------
 
 
From: Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov
Reply-to: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Sent: 3/12/2008 10:28:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: [blindlaw] New York's lieutenant governor, a blind lawyer,
 
>From the Justice For All sidebar blurb:
First Blind Governor of New York?
In the wake of yesterday's breaking news of New York Governor Elliot
Spitzer's involvement in a prostitution ring, many top aides to Spitzer
expect his resignation.
If Governor Spitzer does resign, Lt. Governor David A. Paterson, who is
legally blind, would become the state's first black, first blind
governor.
A bit more about Mr. Paterson:
Link to NY Times profile:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/david_a_pat
erson/index.html?inline=nyt-per
Text:
David A. Paterson
Stewart Cairns for The New York Times
David A. Paterson was elected lieutenant governor of New York in
November 2006 on the ticket led by Eliot Spitzer. Previously, Mr.
Paterson had served as the minority leader of the state Senate. The
scion of a prominent Harlem political family, Mr. Paterson was born
legally blind and worked as a prosecutor before entering politics.
Mr. Paterson's decision to become Mr. Spitzer's running mate stunned
many in Albany. With the growing strength of Democrats in statewide
elections, it seemed only a matter of time before his party took over
the chamber, allowing him to join the ruling triumvirate in Albany and
take his seat with the governor and the Assembly speaker to decide
between them how New York State is governed. By contrast, the lieutenant
governor's post brings with it no power and little prestige.
Mr. Paterson explained the decision in terms the few lieutenant
governors who had been given a real role, saying he wanted to be an
"extension'' of Mr. Spitzer. Others close to him spoke of the enviable
position he would be in if there was a chance to move up. If, for
instance, Hillary Clinton were to become president, Mr. Spitzer would
appoint a replacement to complete her term. Mr. Paterson has
demonstrated political skills and good timing in the past; he became the
minority leader in the Senate by pulling off a coup, which is a rare
feat in Albany.
As the leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, Mr. Paterson has
tried to make up for his lack of power with wit, flurries of reform
proposals and unusual bursts of candor, a combination that has made him
a quotable presence in a Capitol where such leaders are often ignored as
irrelevant. He worked on making inroads with national Democrats,
traveling to Washington to meet with Congressional leaders. And here,
where much of what passes for legislative humor is of the backslapping
variety, Mr. Paterson's stands out.
Take his request at a recent news conference on government reform.
"Anyone else in this Capitol that's telling you about the reform that
they're doing, I want you to give me their names, we're going to bring
them to this conference room, and we're going to beat them up," he said,
with a straight face.
Mr. Paterson was born to politics. His father, Basil, represented the
same Harlem district that his son later did, and ran unsuccessfully for
lieutenant governor in 1970. The younger Mr. Paterson was raised at the
knees of much of Harlem's old guard. He also grew up legally blind,
after an infection as an infant that left him totally without sight in
his left eye and with severely limited sight in his right. His family
moved to Long Island, where they found a school that agreed to educate
him in regular classrooms. He graduated from high school in three years,
went to college at Columbia and graduated from Hofstra Law School.
When he was elected Senate minority leader, Mr. Paterson recalled the
discrimination he had suffered because he is disabled. "So I have had
this desire my whole life to prove people wrong, to show them I could do
things they didn't think I could do," he said. "This is just another."
--March 10, 2008
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw
It's Tax Time! http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001 Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance.