Former Governor Paterson will be joining the MTA board, filling the vacancy left by Nancy Shevell, who resigned from the board in January after marrying Paul McCartney. Since wrapping up his three-year, scandal-plagued term as Governor, Paterson has been keeping a lower profile, teaching a college class and hosting a daily talk-radio show on WOR-AM. The Daily News reports that Governor Cuomo is expected to announce the appointment today—the position is unpaid, but Paterson seems thrilled.
“I can’t say I really ever imagined this would happen, but this governor has asked, and I’m honored,” Paterson tells the News. “It will be quite exciting. One thing I did for the three years I was governor was take tough stands, and I think that is going to be of some service." Paterson does not have an extensive transportation background, but during his time as Governor, he appointed Jay Walder to head the MTA and pushed through a controversial payroll tax on businesses and schools to bail out the MTA.
There are 23 members on the MTA board, which is controlled by the governor with some input from the Mayor and county executives across New York state. We hope that Paterson can show up for more meetings than Shevell did!
Transportation Alternatives, for one, seems optimistic about the appointment. “With another planned fare hike looming in January 2013, Paterson’s experience as a governor and state senator will prove critical to working with Albany lawmakers to find new funding for our transit system, sparing overburdened New Yorkers yet another fare hike,” Executive Director Paul Steely White said in a statement. "Paterson knows well that straphangers can’t handle another hit to their wallets—as Governor, he saw New Yorkers endure back to back fare hikes and reap service cuts in return. He also created new funding for our transit system. If anyone knows New Yorkers are tired of paying more for less and how to find fairer ways to invest in transit, it’s David Paterson."
The MTA's CEO John Lhota adds, "I applaud Governor Andrew Cuomo's nomination of former Governor David Paterson to the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. I have known the former Governor for 35 years and look forward to the opportunity to work with him again. He has long shared the Governor's commitment to our mission of providing safe, efficient and effective transportation to more than 8.5 million riders every day. Once confirmed by the Senate, former Governor Paterson will bring a unique and practical perspective, particularly with respect to issues affecting minority communities and disabled New Yorkers. I look forward to former Governor Paterson bringing to our board deliberations the charm, wit and compassion he has shown throughout his public life."
