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Former NY Governor David Paterson joins Alan to discuss the crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City.
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And -- don't want to welcome former governor of New York David Paterson -- -- became New York's 55 governor and 2008.
After serving as lieutenant governor he's a visiting professor now at NYU and hosts a radio show -- the VOR new York daily doing radio.
It's a lot of fun -- I -- -- But I always thought you'd probably hear them and I think -- -- you used to fill in for me and -- be recalled that when you fill in for me a couple of times in New York in.
-- like to know that I'd like to think I was there at the beginning.
I would say -- -- at the beginning.
-- issue is governor do you miss the job.
Not really.
Up.
Well you know then -- able to do a lot of things that I don't know they could have been done without me becoming governor elect get rid of New York's.
Draconian Rockefeller drug laws that punish people.
Forty gotten more the -- that stated that particular time.
And we were able to sign a worker's bill of rights which are gonna.
Celebrate that and then and another bond.
-- -- domestic workers.
But domestic workers and -- never had any vacation time no.
Minimal wage anything like that.
And then everything that we got to do that that really meant a lot to me but also but also I had to do things -- would counter intuitive.
So my point of view when I got to new York and -- statement about to go bankrupt.
It's really aren't supposed to go bankrupt but they they can.
And down it up now people talk about we have to -- -- -- -- great when I was saying it Republicans.
And Democrats were angry angry about that -- that that that made for a.
But there are doing and also at a time of the of the the end of the Bush Administration the bush economy the whole country was suffering under when I believe the Republicans did by electable oversight so.
You suffered because of that.
Yeah what we got to ten billion dollars in deficit.
In debt.
And that we may have gotten a fourteen now.
But nobody ever explains how we got the first ten.
How do you think Andrew Cuomo has done.
Fantastic.
I mean.
He.
Was able to pass marriage equality in New York State.
He was able to.
Get a new higher education curriculum in New York State.
-- balance the budget two years in a row -- down the budget.
Without having to tax board to borrow any money.
So he's off to a flying start now.
It did -- that -- -- -- when the legislature.
Decides they don't want have a honeymoon with you anymore about it desperate.
-- -- a budget without raising taxes.
Well unfortunately you you've cut off from too much spending now.
-- 2009.
When I saw that we were gonna spend too much.
I had to -- the wealthiest New Yorkers.
Get into -- because.
I had to hold a lot of the you know editorial board owners in the business leaders and that kind of thing -- I'm gonna try not to.
To taxi driver -- bring.
It didn't sit back and in New York State but tell them if they did the budget deficit gets over.
1516 billion dollars I'm going to have to.
So you -- a projected budget deficit of five billion dollars.
In in the you know nine months now but that number quadrupled -- the highest escalation of the budget deficit.
That happened in -- state in the history of the country we wound up twenty point one billion dollars.
Hadn't when I got to about fifteen I went back and -- -- so look.
The deficit is so great now I'm gonna happen -- the wealthiest.
New Yorkers and they wrote.
The same column but they -- written.
And I tax the rich at five billion dollars and that's and it it knew when I got that you know they can complain about people don't want to take cuts which.
It's a good complained that they don't wanna share in the sacrifice but it is what it proved to -- was there was no number.
That the deficit could have gotten -- that they would have thought it was now time to tax people.
This -- very frustrated that job together as he got a bad rap and and many but -- by the press and and maybe -- do you feel under appreciated perhaps buying your constituency.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- There's nothing with Aetna Aetna.
Now you know I I saw -- that.
That people sometimes your head of your time and turned out here out of your time.
I think something that was saying.
And 2008.
What's so startling to people they just didn't believe me and I think -- -- -- me as a traitor like -- it at progressive point of view.
And then became governor wanted to cut everything.
But the interesting thing is near state never had downgraded credit rating never missed a payment never -- that I use.
And we got through that period now where we're not even in.
The top half of states that have budget woes anymore and I hope looking back to people well.
One they recognize that it was.
-- that tough.
Kind of physical that's about I think now we can start talking about we we need to get money back I think -- yet that we'll.
Let me ask you about that for occupy while she was the ostensible reason we -- John.
And -- -- you work right in that neighborhood.
Let's do what your observation and it did Mayor Bloomberg do the right thing by reading the park in the middle of the night.
Well if you were going to move people.
You that would probably be the way to do it and and Dell also -- I think they would try to do is to clean the park up and try to.
Not have some of the public safety have is that exist they -- right now.
And and you know and see if -- didn't point out that he is trying not to a bridge first amendment rights and inviting everybody back of the park.
To protest.
It's a biblical call because this is a public space owned by private sources.
-- kind of hard to tell.
-- of the rights of First Amendment and and -- private rights again -- it's it's it's definitely on the -- What I think I would have done.
Was to have asked the protesters to vacate as he did in a -- -- the way.
And try to go through it in other words so totally up front but that's what -- would have done differently from from.
-- -- but what if they don't listen.
What they see him -- Natalie when we we feel -- we're going to be squatters.
Exercise our first amendment rights we are gonna happen.
I would like to think if you wanted to clean the place that that they would listen that the -- of the community people again it says that they've had several meetings of the protesters.
That the protesters have actually been very cooperative -- stop banging the drums we'll meet -- too little children and -- -- -- -- -- You know I think they -- the image of them being negative and not recognizing problems around them.
Is.
Is a little unfair my understanding is that they've been kind of they've been quite cooperative there are some people who stay at this site.
Who are probably sustain it for other reasons and they have may have been some problems with them.
But I think the people who really apartment protest they do they come up in the studio and interviewed by me.
I've gone down -- walked in and and then.
And talk to them I found them to be quite reasonable.
Gotta wonder where this is where the movement is going now they can assemble they can be there they can have -- they can impersonal.
Belongings apparently.
I think I think this is we have to use -- a little creativity.
And I think two things -- it's critical the protesters.
It's that they seem to be leaderless.
They seem to be trying to execute.
A kind of democracy like which you read about increased 2000 years ago it didn't work then -- work now.
Everybody has -- -- spend all -- time arguing over policy.
And not implementing anything.
And I don't think they have ever listed in priority.
What -- they'd like to have an accomplishment all that being said.
There was a ragtag protests.
That started about a gymnasium at Columbia University where I went -- school.
And then it turned into and that war demonstrations.
And everybody thought that it was ridiculous and people that know what they were doing.
But within a year he's sitting president Lyndon Baines Johnson couldn't run for reelection because of anti war movement in this country -- Maybe but the problem is that no -- protests and anything and so long people have been tweeting in based booking and engaging in self indulgence.
That means that maybe protesters are rusty and -- -- -- about a protest.
And but -- highlight the fact.
That people care about what's going on I was getting the point rightists but I remember 1000 legislation -- this is sometimes and you interviewed me I used to get.
So annoyed at some students it will -- and argue with me they're very idealistic and it's almost utopian.
I got to the point when I left government I missed the students because nobody came to talk about anything.
And we did talk about something it was a -- in the cafeteria something totally -- So I'm glad to see people out there.
Exercising their rights and standing up what they believe them.
What's next for you do you wanna continue your radio career do you wanna go back to the public office at some point -- already.
Have really.
-- I had no desire for elective office.
Well you know it considered very intrusive.
People make up stories about you you can never refute them.
You know like you try to get up as my wife and I did the first day of office and we've we was separated you know so.
I thought it was amazing what you did to issue -- -- -- both bush so candid about your past your marriage and leverage -- that would be laid it all on the table they won.
Which you know it happen.
Honesty is not the best policy there because what it does is it becomes.
You get on that list of you know something that we can't -- -- do today we can go best with Dana's life for his kids something like that.
-- so it's like a base like that feeding -- complex weapons.
Look don't need to rumors about -- that Penn State that probably aren't true.
You would think that what's going on at Penn State -- horrible enough.
But the frenzy takes over and it -- Penn -- of the epicenter of it or open new governor is.
Now let's just let's just create all kinds of problems.
Around this press and I think I certainly -- different and so many Americans have -- If you read all over again would you have not have.
State of the things you stated.
I think what we talked about that that we would still have stated it.
But would have shut it down quicker in other words like look we were separated you know we're not gonna tell you who we would we -- know.
What a year -- went out with -- with a government.
And the rest of -- many business but if you need to know that -- a little.
But that's the opposite of Herman Cain did.
Well that's like -- -- that's why won't go away with term.
Hate what I'm saying it was without bets that went away and I think we would generally lauded -- getting up and doing that.
But -- would -- in case you'd never answered.
The question of how he had -- two.
I think no one could have made could go into Herman -- was running for president 1997.
That he had to.
Settlements.
-- -- -- -- -- -- From the campus and things.
I don't want to violate the confidentiality clause.
But I would tell you some and he just paid money to make a problem go away I generally like to say.
That I don't think -- did anything wrong I think that there communique that he needn't say that ridiculous no one should have talked about as well more than ten minutes was Herman.
-- you don't set the time for how long we should talk about problems we do.
Now in a sentence and.
Can't take a set but when I had the gold country and India's.
We don't have stopped talking about things of about me that were true that other people but always seemed to come up.
Whenever somebody was trying to denigrate me politically because it -- like the position.
You know miss a political life too much at all.
I mean I I missed the discussions and and that's the part of it but you know it was.
We're very painful.
You know they write these articles about you kids in the -- on Google and then -- go to school.
Some parent tells.
And their kids don't hang out with them because.
You know this story that that my daughter was seventeen and that she was in -- -- -- -- for a portion of the 21.
And it was a BET.
-- party for one of the executive I would never able to get that out there.
You know I think -- a problem.
It's a mess -- we knew we had a -- with a -- so that we read about politics it's listen governor thank you so much when the programs are delighted to talk to you once again.
This time.
It is great to talk to you know they did you think you'll always look my favorite policy and it's it's a pleasure to be your guest again.
Thank you -- to -- again.
