From another planet:
Paterson's
Town Hall -- Some Other Moments of Truth, Or As Close As We Can Get
Tom Robbins. The Village Voice
[Gov. Pateson] took some small flak from council member Tish James about both
Atlantic Yards and his proposed soda "fat tax" proposal which she
said was "regressive." The governor, seated cross-legged in a wooden
chair on a platform, said that the decision on the Yards happened
on someone else's watch and that he is now just going along
with an appeals court decision on it, one that "surprised
him."...
(Emphasis added)
Paterson is trying to re-write history. While Atlantic Yards was unveiled and
approved under Pataki, a new sweeter-heart
deal with the MTA was struck with Ratner under Governor Paterson, and a Modified
General Project Plan was introduced and approved under the Paterson Administration.
Both of those Paterson actions took place in September 2009.
The modified plan approval from last September awaits a ruling on a
court challenge brought by DDDB and 19 community co-plaintiffs.
Also, the Court of Appeals ruling on eminent domain is something entirely different
than the Chief Executive of the state deciding whether or not a white elephant,
bait and switch project such as Atlantic Yards should go forward.
Paterson says the ruling "surprised" him. That must mean he disagrees
with it...No? And since it was his project to stop, why didn't he and why is he
going to attend the Boondoggle Ceremony on Thursday if he disagrees with the Court's
ruling eminent domain? (And why is he celebrating what supposedly happened "on
someone else's watch"? Because it is actually happening on his watch and
his stance on the project hypocritical.)
