Paterson names Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor

By By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer

Story Created: Jul 8, 2009 at 3:28 PM EST

Story Updated: Jul 8, 2009 at 9:54 PM EST

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Governor David Paterson is naming Richard Ravitch as New York's lieutenant governor to help end the standoff in the state Senate by presiding over the chamber and breaking tie votes.

In a televised address, the Democratic governor says the state is in crisis over the embarrassing spectacle of a Senate gridlocked 31-31 in a power struggle now it its fifth week.

He also says Wednesday that the Senate and Assembly must make
serious spending cuts because revenues continue to fall and the state faces a fiscal crisis.

Ravitch is a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, respected by Democrats and Republicans. He recently
championed an MTA bailout plan and was chosen by then-Gov. Hugh
Carey to help dig New York out of its 1974 fiscal crisis.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

What's On