By Dan Israeli
Before serving as lieutenant governor and before spending 22 years as a state senator in the 30th District Paterson earned a law degree from Hofstra University in 1983. His family moved to Hempstead when he was a child, and he attended Hempstead High School. His connection to Long Island, and what he can do for the county as he moves forward with the budget and other initiatives, will be on the minds of politicians and casual observers alike as he begins his new job.
At Hofstra, Paterson was admired by his classmates, some of whom also pursued careers in politics. Barbara Patton, a former state assemblywoman from Freeport, got her law degree a year before Paterson. She knew of his father, Basil, who was secretary of state at the time, and got to know David in classes and in the Black Law Students Association. Patton helped Paterson, who is legally blind, by reading him notes during class and study hall, but she was most impressed by his sharp wit and his ability to retain information better than almost anyone.
At that point, he was a fiercely independent young man, where not being sighted was never a problem, Patton recalled. He had this ability to retain and spit back information. His other senses were so keen. Patton, who now lives in Malverne, kept in touch with Paterson during their early years in Albany and at alumni functions. She accomplished an impressive feat of her own, becoming one of the state-s first assemblywomen just months after graduating from Hofstra Law. In 2003, she ran unsuccessfully for Hempstead town supervisor.
David Weprin, a New York City councilman from Queens who also attended Hofstra with Paterson, remembers his knack for memorization. It was amazing he was able to absorb the material better than me, Weprin said. He had a real talent. I was his eyes, he was my brain. Both men-s fathers were state lawmakers. Weprin-s father, the late Saul Weprin, was an assemblyman for 23 years, and served as speaker for the final three. David-s brother Mark now occupies that same Assembly seat, representing eastern Queens.
Leon Friedman, a Hofstra professor of civil liberties law, recalled teaching Paterson, and the struggles he faced. You-re dealing with a difficult amount of material in law school, Friedman said. He had a tough time assimilating all the material. From my recollection, he did what was necessary. He was able to absorb all the material and did well on his tests. He broke the barrier.
Friedman added that Hofstra wasn-t equipped with all the technology it has now to assist the disabled, which made Paterson-s law studies all the more challenging. But Friedman still vouched for his former student as a qualified gubernatorial replacement. He-s been in state government for over 20 years and knows how the process works, Friedman said. I think he-s going to be terrific. The way he went through law school shows a tremendous amount of determination and drive.
Patton and Weprin agreed, noting that Paterson-s people skills will give him an edge over his predecessor. David comes to the table with a lot of qualities Spitzer didn-t possess, Patton said. One of them is the collegiality he builds with people, a tremendous quality. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and a kindness and understanding of the other guy-s issues. He knows how to compromise.
Weprin said he believes Paterson will hit the ground running with the state Legislature, where he served as Senate minority leader for five years. I think he-ll do great, Weprin said. If I had to say Eliot Spitzer had one fault, it was dealing with the Legislature. That-s something that won-t apply to David Paterson.
According to both Patton and Weprin, Paterson has a good working relationship with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, but Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) is taking a wait-and-see attitude, concerned about whether Paterson will be looking out for Long Island. David Paterson is a true gentleman and a person whom I truly respect, Skelos said. While I look forward to working with David, I am concerned that he will continue Governor Spitzer-s New York City-dominated agenda.
Assemblyman Tom Alfano (R-Franklin Square) acknowledged Paterson-s connection to Long Island, and said he hoped that meant the new governor would address its residents- tax burden. David Paterson grew up down the street from us in Hempstead and jogged down Hempstead Turnpike as a kid, Alfano said. So there-s no question that he knows our area well. It-s my hope that Governor Paterson will understand that the people who live in middle class communities on Long Island pay some of the highest property taxes in the country. He must also take a more open view of the fact that Long Island-s schools have been shortchanged in aid and our hospitals are receiving devastating cuts in this budget.
Nonetheless, Alfano said he is optimistic that change in the governor-s office was good. This is a new day for our state, Alfano said. I am hopeful that our new governor will walk away from the politics of intimidation and pitting communities against each other. We need to work together now.
While it remains to be seen whether Paterson-s Hempstead history will inspire him to advocate for Long Island, he appears to have maintained close ties to Hofstra. In addition to speaking at the school in 2006, when he received an honorary degree, Paterson has hired a number of fellow Hofstra grads as both staffers and interns during his years in Albany.
He has spent a lot of very good years here, and has a real fondness for the law school as well as all of Long Island, Patton said. I know it will be at the forefront.
Comments about this story? DIsraeli@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 214.
