Pubdate: Mon, 14 Oct 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Randal C. Archibold
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?140 (Rockefeller Drug Laws)

PATAKI JOINS CROWDED FIELD IN FIRST DEBATE

Gov. George E. Pataki stood behind his record over two terms yesterday 
during a debate with six other candidates for governor that offered a range 
of solutions to New York State's ills - from cutting taxes to regulating 
marijuana - but little opportunity to scrutinize them.

Mr. Pataki, in his first-ever debate as a candidate for governor, did not 
specify what he planned for a third term beyond saying, "We are not going 
to raise taxes next year" to close a budget deficit that may swell to up to 
$7 billion.

The governor, a Republican, had insisted that the minor-party candidates be 
allowed to participate; he ended up sitting between the Right to Life and 
Marijuana Reform candidates. During the 90-minute forum, candidates were 
generally permitted to make one-minute responses. That meant each candidate 
had only 8 to 10 minutes of talking time, including Mr. Pataki's Democratic 
chief opponent, H. Carl McCall, who was limited to 10 minutes to rebut the 
governor's record and set out his own agenda.

It also meant that with each candidate promoting his own sometimes quirky 
agenda, talk veered at times from substance to silliness.

They discussed whether to cut taxes or raise them, what to do with the 
World Trade Center site, and whether a nuclear plant near New York City 
should be closed.

But the forum also afforded obscure candidates like Thomas K. Leighton, of 
the Marijuana Reform Party, an opportunity to urge the state to regulate 
the marijuana market, and allowed Gerard J. Cronin, the Right to Life 
candidate and a teacher, to turn to the camera and greet his students not 
once but twice.

Scott Jeffrey, the Libertarian candidate, even had a moment of confession 
when he responded to a comment by Mr. Leighton that marijuana users would 
not mind being taxed by the state if the drug were legalized. "Well, I am a 
pot smoker who does not want to pay more taxes," Mr. Jeffrey said, drawing 
a giggle or two from some of the candidates.

Mr. Jeffrey had another, more serious moment of candor as he answered why 
he and the other third-party candidates were in the race, beyond sending a 
message. He admitted to viewers, "I'm not expecting to be elected," but 
urged people to vote for him anyway so his party could get the 50,000 votes 
needed under state law to keep its line on state ballots for the next four 
years.

The session, sponsored by WABC-TV and The Daily News and held at the 
Midtown studio used by the morning show "Live With Regis and Kelly," was 
the first time since 1990 that a sitting governor participated in such a 
forum with a major party rival.

Mr. Pataki has refused to debate unless all the candidates were invited, a 
turnabout from 1994 when he refused to debate Gov. Mario M. Cuomo because 
Mr. Cuomo insisted the third-party candidates be there as well.

Mr. Pataki now says he will not debate Mr. McCall, the state comptroller, 
one on one.

All the candidates, who were debating for the first time, are set to meet 
again on Sunday in Syracuse.

Critics suggest Mr. Pataki insisted on this format to allow only the 
briefest of opportunities for partisan attacks, and to minimize attention 
on his main rivals, Mr. McCall and Tom Golisano, the self-financed 
billionaire and Independence candidate.

The only candidate not present was Andrew M. Cuomo, who had won the Liberal 
Party nomination but quit his bid for the Democratic nomination a week 
before the Sept. 10 primary. Mr. Cuomo remains on the ballot on the Liberal 
line but has said he will not campaign.

Although viewers did not hear Mr. Pataki articulate his plans for a third 
term, the governor used the word "proud" 12 times when describing what he 
thought of his record on issues like crime, education and transportation.

He did offer views not often stated publicly. He answered yes when asked 
whether the state should ban smoking in public spaces and said that he 
would consider advocating the shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear plant 35 
miles north of New York City if the evidence of its danger to public safety 
was credible. He promised to fight for term limits if elected for a third time.

Mr. Pataki agreed that reforms were needed to address the ways state 
government does business, in which it is often said that "three men in a 
room" - the governor, the Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, and 
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver - make key decisions on a budget that is 
chronically late.

Mr. Pataki said he would support mandating conference committees to 
reconcile differing versions of the budget passed by the Senate and Assembly.

Mr. Golisano said Mr. Bruno had shown him "the room" on a visit to Albany. 
"It's about 10 by 12," Mr. Golisano said. "It's got a table in it with four 
chairs and two windows. I said, `This is the way we run our state 
government?' "

Mr. McCall, in turn, promised: "I'm going to seal that room so it'll never 
be used again. We've got to open up the process. It's dysfunctional. In 
fact, we've run out of adjectives to describe how bad it is."

All the candidates but one, Stanley Aronowitz of the Green Party, said they 
would either cut taxes or avoid raising them. Mr. Aronowitz suggested 
wealthy people should be taxed more.

"My plan would say tax those who are most able to pay and tax fairly and 
spend wisely so we meet the needs of our people," he said. "Unless we have 
new taxes, there's absolutely no way we're going to close the budget gap."

To ease the tax burden, Mr. Leighton suggested the state allow farmers to 
grow hemp for industrial purposes. "This would not only save the family 
farm and preserve valuable farmland for the future, but it will also 
provide raw materials to revitalize manufacturing industries in clothing, 
textiles, paper products," he said. "And these new industries would affect 
the economies very directly. It would also help the garment workers down in 
New York City."

Mr. Aronowitz was also one of two candidates - the other being Mr. Leighton 
- - who supported reinstating a commuter tax that until its repeal in 1999 
imposed an assessment on people who worked in New York City but lived in 
the suburbs.

All the candidates said they would prefer not to raise subway and bus fares 
but none would rule it out.

Mr. Pataki said he would work to increase revenue by attracting more riders 
and supporting the proposed merger of Metro-North and the Long Island Rail 
Road.

Regarding the trade center site, most of the candidates said a combination 
of a memorial with new commercial or residential space would be appropriate.

But Mr. Leighton said he believed the whole site "should be a totally open 
green space with a suitable memorial in the center," while Mr. Jeffrey 
said, "What would I know about that?"

Mr. Pataki noted that Mr. McCall had originally insisted all the candidates 
be present and went on to say, "I think allowing this free discussion, 
allowing this open involvement by everyone who the voters have the option 
to vote for on Nov. 5 is the appropriate course to take."

Mr. McCall said that a debate with all the candidates should be 
supplemented with one "where we have the candidates who have the most 
likely opportunity to get elected."

He added, "And I think that kind of debate would be a little more 
instructive and a little more helpful to the public."
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