If David Paterson is the man I think he is, there will be a new day in Albany -- very soon.

After Election Day, Paterson, the New York State Senate Minority Leader and hand-picked running mate of Eliot Spitzer, will, with Spitzer, sweep into office — and with them there will be change.

Change will be broad, sudden and meaningful – reform will sweep the State Capital and the nation’s worst legislature will undergo a transformation in purpose and principle.

Paterson, the next Lieutenant Governor, and I sat down for a cup of coffee at the Tribune offices last week. Only he drank water and in just about every other way was unlike most politicians with whom I’ve chatted.


THE TICKET

He told me he was selected by Spitzer to help navigate the morass in Albany – he spoke no more kindly about the pathetic failings and blemishes of the New York State legislature than I have for the past several years. His responses on the changes needed could have been mine or those of a number of good government groups who have been yelling about three men in a room in Albany not serving the people.

The spirit of this column however, is not intended to be about Paterson, it is about reform and commitment. As you read this with just a handful of days to election, the Spitzer–Paterson team does not need the help of my last-minute plug. They are and have been the clear winners and will next Tuesday receive a mandate as large as any in modern State history. It is or will be, a clear and definitive statement by the people of their approval of the performance of Eliot Spitzer as Attorney General and of his beliefs and commitment embodied by the job he has done. This was never a contest of campaigns and words; it has been a referendum on the work of Eliot Spitzer.

Because of that, we know more about what he has done than what he will do when he becomes Governor at the beginning of next year.

It was during the hour and a half that I spent with Paterson that I received some insight which made this Spitzer supporter into a Spitzer champion.

Our conversation was lengthy and rambling but the theme was clear – reform. It has been my theme concerning Albany for years and Paterson was the first member of the State Legislature (and there have been many) who sat with me prepared to condemn the politically inept performance on both sides of the aisle. To David, Albany represents non-partisan failure — or rather, both partys’ failure.

“The moral high ground is not in Albany, but it’s gonna get there Jan 1,” he explained as we focused on reform.


THE KEY REFORMS

The reality, explained Paterson, is that that what has made it difficult to achieve change in Albany is that all the members actually benefit from the culture there.

“I know what the status quo is and I’m taking dead aim on it,” he told us without pause.

Patterson began to outline the major changes needed:

1) Day 1: 10 a.m. — Money is the root of all evil, there has to be campaign finance reform.

2) It’s going be a long day. The next item is to restrict the power of lobbyists.

3) Reapportionment cannot be done by the legislature. There’s no such things as non-partisan but you have a commission of people who have no interest in apportionment lines. You follow neighborhood lines. I would appoint people from the judiciary and people from the universities — the press wouldn’t be bad.

4) And the fourth thing – the one most people don’t talk about — is to change the power of leadership. Right now, if you vote the wrong way, you lose your lulu.

The conversation went on and Paterson was no less blunt nor any more gentle on how to handle the budget process in Albany:

5) Close call the house – keep the members in session – until the budget is passed. It’ll fill up the psych wards in Albany, he explained. Taking them away from their districts is what hurts them. Make them stay in Albany for budget reform.


PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE

Then the Senate Minority Leader became philosophical or professorial – we enjoyed that side of him:

Have you over noticed why doctors are opposed to any other medication other than drug therapy? We have over-prescribed antibiotics. Rather than medicine, follow the protocol of change, he explained. The American public spends $12 million year buying vitamins. Doctors could prescribe vitamins instead of drugs but they are educated to keep them from thinking. No matter what intellect you have, you come through a system that doesn’t invite thought, it invites compliance.

“There’s room in the system for bright stars,” smiled David. “I entered the system, I was never compliant, I did what I wanted to do. I want you to think about how change has occurred in society. It’s not pointing the way, it’s showing the way. You don’t need that many people to change things. Once the movement starts it awakens people.”


TIMETABLE FOR REFORM

And David, when will the people know there is change? How long will the have to wait, I asked.

“It’ll take a week. Call me on January 8, Paterson replied. “It’s not that the technical and the structural changes will be made but the attitude will change.

And he added, “After the first session, they’ll know. . . that it’s changed, or that there is a huge civil war going on in Albany.”

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.