Gov. Paterson promises bright future for upstate

Gov. David Paterson is keeping tabs on Upstate New York.

During a speech Thursday in Rochester, he promised to help reinvigorate the region's economy and keep former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's pledge of $1 billion for upstate alive.

Paterson visited Rochester just three days after being sworn in March 17 and taking over for Spitzer, who resigned over his alleged involvement in a prostitution ring.

"A lot of things have changed in New York in the last couple of weeks, but one thing that has not changed is our considered support for all the projects that we have talked about right here in upstate," he said during a rally at the Midtown Plaza. "Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse - wherever it is in upstate - we will be there with funding to regenerate the economy to bring jobs back to the area."

Paterson said the country is already in recession and he doesn't plan to raise state taxes because "that's what got us into this trouble in the first place."

Paterson has said that he wants next year's budget to be trimmed by $800 million. A vote on the budget is expected in early April.

In addition to the Midtown project in Rochester, Paterson specifically highlighted other state projects at Buffalo's inner harbor, a connective corridor of development space in Syracuse and downtown revitalization projects in Binghamton, Broome County, and Rome, Oneida County.

University of Rochester President Joel Seligman said residents across the state should be "thrilled" to have Paterson as governor because he has the drive to move the state economy in a new direction.

"We now have our Moses - our leader - as someone who's going to take us toward a 21st Century knowledge-based economy," he said.

State Sen. Joe Robach, who represents the 56th District, said he's encouraged with Paterson's first few days because it's evident that the new governor is embracing upstate and is "leaving the door open" for ways to help improve the local economy. Robach added that he hopes that Paterson understands how critically important it is to create new jobs upstate and is optimistic that Paterson will change Albany for the better.

Sandy Parker, president of the Rochester Business Alliance, echoed those sentiments, saying that she's very optimistic about upstate's future.

"We've got a governor that's going to do whatever he can to turn this place around," she said.

Paterson said that's exactly the message he wanted to get across.

"What we have to do now is to take what is on the drawing board and put it into reality," he said. "It will take a lot of work, it will take a lot of effort and it will take a steadfast discipline ... but we will prevail."

Messenger Post writer Bryan Roth can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 270, or at broth@mpnewspapers.com