Pataki Did What Could Be Done

Reader comment on: From Pataki to Walker

Submitted by GOPNYC (United States), Mar 4, 2011 11:41

You seem to forget that during Pataki's term, New York's bicameral legislature had one house controlled by the Democrats and a razor thin majority in the Senate. it was DEEP BLUE New York, after all, and the power of state employee unions here is like it is nowhere else on the planet.

Pataki should be congratulated, not condemned, for his ability to compromise union power in New York and bring many of their leaders into the tent. Had he lost the governorship to the Democrats here, who are notoriously corrupt, the rent-seeking by public employee unions would have gone unabated and left New York in far worse fiscal shape than even California is now.

Pataki did yeoman's work in trying to rein in New York's budget, but was stopped at every turn by Democrat (and now convicted criminal) Alan Hevesi, as this New York Times story relates. This is but one instance. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/nyregion/hevesi-rejects-pataki-pension-fund-plans.html

A lot of the blow-hard-right might enjoy big talk about "busting unions", but --fact is -- if you're not in office -- and you don't stay in office -- then all it is is "big talk".

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