Governor David Paterson revealed one heck of a New Year’s resolution just before opening the Governor’s mansion to a public tour on January 1: If the leaders of the Legislature don’t come up with a choice of bidders to operate the Racino at Aqueduct race track within two weeks – he’ll name one.
Paterson made it clear that unless “in the next week or two” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader John Sampson name their pick to operate the South Ozone Park gaming facility, “I think I’ll be forced – as I did last year – to announce my group and hope to persuade the two other leaders.”
When pressed as to whether he would make that move in the next week, Paterson said, “I would think so.”
“I tried to respect… the way the process was set up – a way I never would have set it up – mandating that there be a three-way agreement,” Paterson said. “I gave them all that time. If they had agreed on a group that I didn’t, I would have gone along with it just so the state could go forward,” he insisted.
Spokespersons for the legislative leadership made measured responses to Paterson’s challenge.
“The Senate has been working closely with the Assembly and the Governor,” said Austin Shafran, from Samson’s office, “to find a suitable bidder who will provide economy revitalization for the local community as well as an influx of cash to the state coffers.”
“We are pleased to hear he is close to making a decision,” said Assembly spokesperson Dan Weiller. “We’ve been waiting months,” he said. Weiller noted that in recent years, Silver has made it clear that he’s “not a big fan” of gambling in New York, “but if people are going to go out of state to gamble, we might as well keep them here.”
Weiller noted that Silver is “strongly opposed” to any suggestions of adding a VLT facility to nearby Belmont race track. “It would be in direct competition with Aqueduct and probably hurt them both,” he said.
Privately, sources close to the process expressed a mixture of amusement and resignation at the Governor’s take on the situation.
“The Governor’s office has been in control of the process from the beginning,” one source said, pointing out that it has been “unlike any other contract-award process.”
“We’re running out of time before the end of the year [the fiscal or budget year ends at midnight of March 31] and we’ve counted on the $200 million down payment,” the source said.
