Paterson's sight hurting job
He's 'disengaged some days,' Savino says, adding that he relies on staff
to make decisions
Saturday, August 22, 2009
By JUDY L. RANDALL
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Link:
http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1250927108150700.xml&coll=1

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Gov. David Paterson's visual impairment has
hindered his ability to govern, state Sen. Diane Savino said yesterday.

In an unusually candid assessment of a fellow Democrat, Ms. Savino also
said the governor, who has slumped to 15 percent popularity in public
opinion polls, sometimes appears "disengaged."

"David is one of those people who tends to rely on the staff around him to
set policy and make decisions, and then he turns around and undoes
things," said Ms. Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn). "The messaging and the
policy development comes out in various conflicting forms."

"He's disengaged some days," added Ms. Savino, who served with Paterson
when he was senate minority leader. "That is part of his style."

When asked why she thought that was, Ms. Savino said: "We live in a
digital age now, with e-mailing and Blackberrying. He is not able to do
that because of his visual impairment. David cannot do those things. Also,
he does not read Braille. He has people reading newspapers to him. He
listens to tapes of staffers briefing him. All that takes an enormous
amount of time. As a result, he is not able to respond on the fly the way
[former Gov. Eliot] Spitzer or even [former Gov. George] Pataki could. In
some ways I think that has hindered him, in spite of everything he has
accomplished in life."

"He is brilliant in many respects," added Ms. Savino. "But as we have all
found out, you can be smart and not be able to govern."

Paterson, who is legally blind, is only the second such governor in U.S.
history. He memorizes his speeches, including the lengthy State of the
State address he delivered earlier this year, a grueling process which he
later said left him fatigued.

Ms. Savino made her remarks during a telephone interview from Albany when
asked to assess Paterson's chances of winning election in 2010.

While Paterson has publicly said he is committed to running for governor,
political circles have been rife with rumors that if a graceful exit can
be found for him -- say, an ambassadorship offered by the Obama
administration -- he could be maneuvered aside for state Attorney General
Andrew Cuomo, who has high favorability ratings.

Paterson, the former lieutenant governor, was elevated to the top spot
last year when Spitzer resigned in disgrace.

"Will he run?" said Ms. Savino of Paterson. "I'm not really sure. David is
the governor until he is not the governor, and as the governor he has my
full support. Right now, he is the only one we have."

Still, Ms. Savino added: "It is very hard to come back from the poll
numbers he has. He is not in the best place for someone interested in
running for election. Some of that is beyond his fault. State revenues are
in continued decline and the Legislature is in revolt against itself. But
he has a leadership style that has hindered him."

Of Cuomo, Ms. Savino said: "He is a very effective attorney general. This
is a delicate dance for him, but if Andrew Cuomo was running I don't think
there is anybody in the state who wouldn't want to see him run if things
could be resolved with Gov. Paterson."

Governance aside, Ms. Savino called Paterson "likable," possessing a
"great sense of humor" and an ability "to disarm people" -- qualities, she
said, that have made it difficult for friend and foe alike to criticize
him.

Judy L. Randall is a news reporter for the Advance.

News…
From Council Member G. Oliver Koppell

Contact: Jamin R. Sewell
August 24, 2009
(718) 549-7300

For Immediate Release

KOPPELL CONDEMNS SENATOR SAVINO’S STATEMENTS REGARDING GOVERNOR PATERSON’S FITNESS TO SERVE

“I am disappointed and outraged by NYS Senator Diane Savino’s recent statements about Governor David Paterson’s vision impairment,” said New York City Council Member G. Oliver Koppell, who is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services.“It is unfair and inappropriate to imply that the Governor is limited in his ability to serve, because of his impairment as Senator Savino has done.”

Koppell added, “We have and have had outstanding lawyers, judges, executives, teachers and performers who are blind or have low vision. Blindness and limited vision are not disabilities that disqualify anyone from doing the work of an executive or a politician. It is in fact illegal to discriminate against anyone seeking employment as an executive or professional on the basis of a disability of this nature. Reasonable accommodation to limited vision is a legal requirement. Senator Savino’s statement may discourage employers from hiring people with blindness or low vision and discourage young people with vision impairments from pursuing various professions. This is deeply regrettable.”

Koppell concluded, “I hope that Senator Savino rethinks her statements, retracts them, and apologizes to Governor Paterson as well as the greater community of people with disabilities.”

Koppell slaps Savino on the vision thing (updated)
Elizabeth Benjamin, Daily News Daily Politics 8/25/09

Bronx Councilman Oliver Koppell is calling on Staten Island state Sen. Diane Savino to retract her recent comments saying that Gov. Paterson's job performance is "hindered" by his blindness.

“It is unfair and inappropriate to imply that the Governor is limited in his ability to serve because of his visual impairment, as Senator Savino has done," said Koppell, who chairs the council's Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services, in a news release.

He noted that it would be it would be illegal for an employer to discriminate against an executive based on visual disability.

"Senator Savino’s statement may discourage employers from hiring people with blindness or low vision and discourage young people with vision impairments from pursuing various professions," he said. "This is deeply regrettable.”

UPDATE: Savino's office sent over a statement she first issued on Sunday, in which she says her comments have been taken out of context, declares her continued support for Paterson and apologizes for any hurt feelings she may have caused.

"I stated there may be the appearance that he is disengaged, because of the disproportionate amount of time he must spend on preparation, as well as the reliance on his staff to receive and disseminate information, which may lead some to believe that he is not involved in all aspects of governing," she said

Both full statements after the jump.

KOPPELL CONDEMNS SENATOR SAVINO’S STATEMENTS REGARDING GOVERNOR PATERSON’S FITNESS TO SERVE

“I am disappointed and outraged by NYS Senator Diane Savino’s recent statements about Governor David Paterson’s vision impairment,” said New York City Council Member G. Oliver Koppell, who is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services. “It is unfair and inappropriate to imply that the Governor is limited in his ability to serve, because of his visual impairment as Senator Savino has done.”

Koppell added, “We have and have had outstanding lawyers, judges, executives, teachers and performers who are blind or have low vision. Blindness and low vision are not disabilities that disqualify anyone from doing the work of an executive or a politician. In fact it is illegal to discriminate against anyone seeking employment as an executive or professional on the basis of a disability of this nature. Reasonable accommodation for low vision is a legal requirement. Senator Savino’s statement may discourage employers from hiring people with blindness or low vision and discourage young people with vision impairments from pursuing various professions. This is deeply regrettable.”

Koppell concluded, “I hope that Senator Savino rethinks her statements, retracts them, and apologizes to Governor Paterson as well as the greater community of people with disabilities.”

SAVINO STATEMENT

“My comments regarding Governor Paterson, in the August 22nd edition of the Staten Island Advance, were unfortunately taken out of context.

During the interview, I was asked why detractors claim that he appears to be disengaged in the running of the Governor’s office. In the context of an overall discussion, I stated that Governor Paterson has a brilliant mind and has accomplished many things.

I stated there may be the appearance that he is disengaged, because of the disproportionate amount of time he must spend on preparation, as well as the reliance on his staff to receive and disseminate information, which may lead some to believe that he is not involved in all aspects of governing.

David Paterson is the Governor and has my full support. His success is important, not only to Democrats, but to all of the people of the State of New York.

To the extent, that my comments may have inadvertently hurt anyone’s feelings, I apologize.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/08/koppell-slaps-savino-on-the-vi.html#ixzz0PF0iUFEb

I don't believe it's his vision impairment per se that's hindering his ability to govern, but by all accounts he isn't up on the latest technology. Relying too much on other people's opinions will hinder anyone's ability to manage things.