34 Vetoes, and Caveats by Paterson

by Danny Hakim

ALBANY — Holding up the specter of a “serious economic crisis,” Gov. David A. Paterson has wielded his veto pen 34 times in an attempt to curb new spending, according to documents released on Thursday.

The governor has sounded an alarm in recent weeks over the state’s fiscal woes — specifically a projected deficit of $26.2 billion over the next three years — and in many of his vetoes made good on his vow to hold the line on spending.

But his aggressive approach has created some tension between him and many Assembly Democrats and labor-backed groups, who have begun accusing him of turning his back on his liberal roots.

Again and again in memos written to explain his vetoes, Mr. Paterson praised the aims of various measures he rejected, calling one “an excellent example of a worthy initiative” and calling the goals of another measure “laudable.”

But he made it clear that in these uncertain economic times, the bar has to be raised for approving new proposals. Although some of the proposals could have been quite costly, even small outlays of public money were often turned back.

“Many difficult financial choices will need to be made,” he said, in rejecting a proposal to spend $25,000 on a state entrepreneurship award.

The bills the governor vetoed covered a wide range of topics. One would have seriously weakened the power of Buffalo’s financial control board and made it more of an advisory panel. The governor said that “as we enter a period of state and national recession, we cannot afford to jeopardize the state’s ability to wield this vital tool.”

Two bills he rejected would have made it easier for police officers and firefighters to receive disability benefits for heart ailments even if the ailments were not clearly related to their duties. Such bills, known as “heart bills” in Albany, have long been a favorite of labor unions representing public workers.

“These proposals cannot be viewed in isolation from the deep fiscal crisis in which the state now finds itself,” the governor said in vetoing the bills.

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffe, a Rockland County Democrat who sponsored the two bills, said, “Our police and firefighters put their lives on the line every day, and I don’t think you can put a price on that.

“I think that this is a very difficult time,” she said. “There are clearly fiscal concerns, and that in itself is going to create an environment where there is going to be tension, there is no doubt about it.”

A bill that would allow State Police officers injured in the line of duty to keep full pay and benefits until they reach retirement age was also rejected. The governor, who last week imposed a state hiring freeze, said the bill would essentially give officers “the right to unlimited sick leave at full pay — a leave that could last for decades.”

“The result would be a significant drain on the state’s fisc —— one it can ill afford at present,” he added.

Mr. Paterson rejected another bill that would have made it more difficult for the state to reassign workers. He said it would “significantly complicate the state’s efforts to carry out reassignments rationally.”

The governor also vetoed a bill that would have had state bureaucrats compile a database of volunteers that could help senior citizens and would have developed training programs for such volunteers.

“These are expenditures that are not imperative in this time of fiscal uncertainty,” he said.

Mr. Paterson turned back an attempt by the City of Albany to start collecting millions of dollars annually for state-owned land in the city exempted from taxation.

And he vetoed a bill that would have created training courses for waiters and waitresses who serve liquor — an attempt to limit sales to people under 21 — explaining that the State Liquor Authority would have to spend at least $300,000 more.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Westchester Democrat who sponsored the bill, commented, “I have to say, I was shocked. It was a no-brainer to me.”

She said that restaurants and taverns would have borne most of the costs.

“I am of the belief that when you’re cost-cutting you also have to be far-thinking,” she said, adding that legislation was “not being evaluated properly” by the administration.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” she said.

The governor’s administration also announced on Thursday that 35 new bills had been signed into law, including one that strengthens the state’s ability to discipline doctors for mistakes on the job. Many of the bills concerned issues of local interest, like the classification of a parcel of parkland in the Syracuse area.

Mr. Paterson did make an exception to his belt-tightening by signing legislation aimed at further expanding eligibility for benefits for those who helped clean up the World Trade Center site. The projected cost for the city’s various pension funds is $3.2 million a year.

“It is imperative that we continue to provide those workers who face health consequences from their work at ground zero with the very best care,” the governor said in a statement.