[nfbwatlk] FW: Paterson May Be First Blind NY Governor

Tue Mar 11 17:15:02 CDT 2008

Bennett Prows, J.D.

Health Information Privacy Program

Office for Civil Rights

Seattle, Washington

(206) 615-2621

E-mail:  Bennett.Prows at hhs.gov

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________________________________

From: Willard Freeman [mailto:willardf at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 2:37 PM
To: Michael Bullis; Kelly Cummings; Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)
Subject: Paterson May Be First Blind NY Governor

Paterson May Be First Blind NY Governor

By MICHAEL HILL - 36 minutes ago 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The man poised to succeed Gov. Eliot Spitzer would
not only become the first black governor of New York. He would also be
the state's first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor
since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Though his sight is limited, Lt. Gov. David Paterson walks the halls of
the Capitol unaided. He recognizes people at conversational distance and
can memorize whole speeches. He has played basketball, run a marathon,
and survived 22 years in the backbiting culture of the state Capitol
with a reputation as a man more apt to reach for an olive branch than a
baseball bat.

If Spitzer resigns after being snared in a prostitution scandal, the
biggest changes in a Paterson administration would probably revolve
around style.

"He's a guy who had two handicaps: his blindness and his race. And he
never made excuses for it," said civil rights leader Al Sharpton, a
longtime friend. "He's the guy who has said, 'I have been in a minority
group and a minority within a minority group. And I can make it, so
don't give me no excuses.'"

Paterson, 53, is the son of former state Sen. Basil Paterson, a member
of the storied "Harlem Clubhouse" that includes fellow Democrats U.S.
Rep. Charles Rangel and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. The
elder Paterson was the first in the family to run for lieutenant
governor in 1970. He lost, but later became New York's first black
secretary of state.

David Paterson lost sight in his left eye and much of the sight in his
right eye after an infection as an infant. Refusal to bow to his
handicap came early. When New York City schools refused to let him
attend mainstream classes, his parents established residency on Long
Island, where they found a school that would let him go to regular
classes.

"He was in the plays and on the stage, and required no assistance in
maneuvering around stage and on the playground," said Dr. Casmiro
Liotta, Paterson's former principal at the Fulton School.

Assemblyman Keith Wright, an old Harlem friend, remembers Paterson
playing basketball and generally acting just like the other kids in the
neighborhood. In 1999, Paterson completed the New York City Marathon.

After earning degrees from Columbia University and Hofstra Law School,
he worked for the Queens district attorney's office and was elected to
the state Senate in 1985 at the age of 31. He built a reputation for
working hard in a place where not everyone does.

Though he can read for brief periods, Paterson usually has aides read to
him. He also has developed the ability to remember entire speeches and
policy arcana. State Sen. Neil Breslin recalled that he told Paterson
his cell phone number once and he memorized it.

"He has one of the finest memories of anyone I've known," Breslin said.

In sharp contrast to Spitzer, who can sound like a legal brief, Paterson
is known for dry wit and speaking off the cuff. Sharpton recalled
Paterson's arrest with his father at a New York City protest over the
1999 police killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant.
Paterson quipped: "I'm going to tell the judge that I didn't see where I
was going."

That easy demeanor belies Paterson's record as a savvy political
operator. He seized control of the Senate Democratic caucus from another
senator in 2002. He then worked to build the caucus, chipping away at
the Republican majority to the point where it's now down to one seat.
And he bucked his own father by accepting Spitzer's offer to become his
running mate. Basil Paterson and others in the Harlem Clubhouse had
already thrown their support to someone else.

Paterson reportedly took a couple of weeks to decide whether to give up
his legislative career for New York's notoriously anonymous No. 2 spot.
And sure enough, as Spitzer ostentatiously picked fights with lawmakers
and became embroiled in a scandal over aides' efforts to embarrass a
Republican rival, Paterson stuck to an agenda that was substantial, but
hardly flashy: Medicaid, stem cell research, renewable energy.

If Spitzer steps down or is removed, Paterson would become only the
third black governor in the nation since Reconstruction. He would also
be the first blind governor - at least as far as the National Federation
of the Blind is aware.

Paterson would not be the first New York governor with a disability.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who governed from 1928 to 1932, was paralyzed
by polio in 1921.

If Spitzer resigns, Paterson would have to lean heavily on his ability
to smooth ruffled feathers. Even before Spitzer was snagged in a
prostitution scandal, the Capitol has been an acrimonious place.

Paterson already has a warm relationship with Republican Senate Majority
leader Joseph Bruno from his days in the Senate. Assembly Republican
Leader James Tedisco said he's already received a call from Paterson
talking about the future.

"He will be able to turn the temperature down a little bit," Wright
said.

Associated Press Writer Jessica M. Pasko in Albany contributed to this
report.

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-- 
Willard Freeman

503-730-2587 cell 

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Bennett Prows, J.D.
Health Information Privacy Program
Office for Civil Rights
Seattle
,
Washington
(206) 615-2621
E-mail:  mailto:Bennett.Prows at hhs.gov Bennett.Prows at hhs.gov

NOTE:  This e-mail may contain sensitive and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this email in error) please
notify the sender immediately and destroy this e-mail.  Any unauthorized copying, disclosure, or distribution of the material in this e-mail is strictly
forbidden.
From:
Willard Freeman [mailto:willardf at gmail.com]
Sent:
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 2:37 PM
To:
Michael Bullis; Kelly Cummings; Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)
Subject:
Paterson
May Be First Blind NY Governor

Paterson
May Be First Blind NY Governor
By MICHAEL HILL &#8211;
36 minutes ago
ALBANY
,
N.Y.
(AP) &#8212; The man poised to succeed Gov. Eliot Spitzer would not only become the first black governor of
New York
. He would also be the state's first legally blind governor and its first disabled governor since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Though his sight is limited, Lt. Gov. David Paterson walks the halls of the Capitol unaided. He recognizes people at conversational distance and can memorize whole speeches. He has played basketball, run a marathon, and survived 22 years in the backbiting culture of the state Capitol with a reputation as a man more apt to reach for an olive branch than a baseball bat.
If Spitzer resigns after being snared in a prostitution scandal, the biggest changes in a
Paterson
administration would probably revolve around style.
"He's a guy who had two handicaps: his blindness and his race. And he never made excuses for it," said civil rights leader Al Sharpton, a longtime friend. "He's the guy who has said, 'I have been in a minority group and a minority within a minority group. And I can make it, so don't give me no excuses.'"
Paterson
, 53, is the son of former state Sen. Basil Paterson, a member of the storied "Harlem Clubhouse" that includes fellow Democrats U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. The elder
Paterson
was the first in the family to run for lieutenant governor in 1970. He lost, but later became
New York
's first black secretary of state.
David Paterson lost sight in his left eye and much of the sight in his right eye after an infection as an infant. Refusal to bow to his handicap came early. When
New York City
schools refused to let him attend mainstream classes, his parents established residency on
Long Island
, where they found a school that would let him go to regular classes.
"He was in the plays and on the stage, and required no assistance in maneuvering around stage and on the playground," said Dr. Casmiro Liotta,
Paterson
's former principal at the
Fulton
School
.
Assemblyman Keith Wright, an old Harlem friend, remembers
Paterson
playing basketball and generally acting just like the other kids in the neighborhood. In 1999,
Paterson
completed the New York City Marathon.
After earning degrees from
Columbia
University
and
Hofstra
Law
School
, he worked for the
Queens
district attorney's office and was elected to the state Senate in 1985 at the age of 31. He built a reputation for working hard in a place where not everyone does.
Though he can read for brief periods,
Paterson
usually has aides read to him. He also has developed the ability to remember entire speeches and policy arcana. State Sen. Neil Breslin recalled that he told
Paterson
his cell phone number once and he memorized it.
"He has one of the finest memories of anyone I've known," Breslin said.
In sharp contrast to Spitzer, who can sound like a legal brief,
Paterson
is known for dry wit and speaking off the cuff. Sharpton recalled
Paterson
's arrest with his father at a
New York City
protest over the 1999 police killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant.
Paterson
quipped: "I'm going to tell the judge that I didn't see where I was going."
That easy demeanor belies
Paterson
's record as a savvy political operator. He seized control of the Senate Democratic caucus from another senator in 2002. He then worked to build the caucus, chipping away at the Republican majority to the point where it's now down to one seat. And he bucked his own father by accepting Spitzer's offer to become his running mate. Basil Paterson and others in the Harlem Clubhouse had already thrown their support to someone else.
Paterson
reportedly took a couple of weeks to decide whether to give up his legislative career for
New York
's notoriously anonymous No. 2 spot. And sure enough, as Spitzer ostentatiously picked fights with lawmakers and became embroiled in a scandal over aides' efforts to embarrass a Republican rival, Paterson stuck to an agenda that was substantial, but hardly flashy: Medicaid, stem cell research, renewable energy.
If Spitzer steps down or is removed,
Paterson
would become only the third black governor in the nation since Reconstruction. He would also be the first blind governor &#8212; at least as far as the National Federation of the Blind is aware.
Paterson
would not be the first
New York
governor with a disability. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who governed from 1928 to 1932, was paralyzed by polio in 1921.
If Spitzer resigns,
Paterson
would have to lean heavily on his ability to smooth ruffled feathers. Even before Spitzer was snagged in a prostitution scandal, the Capitol has been an acrimonious place.
Paterson
already has a warm relationship with Republican Senate Majority leader Joseph Bruno from his days in the Senate. Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco said he's already received a call from
Paterson
talking about the future.
"He will be able to turn the temperature down a little bit," Wright said.
Associated Press Writer Jessica M. Pasko in
Albany
contributed to this report.
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Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. http://ap.google.com/hostednews/img/vertical-space.gif
--
Willard Freeman
503-730-2587 cell