Pataki Faults Silver on Passover Claim
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ALBANY – Governor Pataki yesterday slammed the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, an Orthodox Jew, for suggesting the governor delayed announcing budget vetoes until the beginning of Passover to silence the Manhattan Democrat.
“It is wrong and it is beneath the speaker,” the Republican governor told a state Capitol news conference early yesterday afternoon as he announced $2.9 billion in vetoes from what he said was a $115.5 billion budget approved by lawmakers.
“He knows that I’ve gone out of my way to be cognizant of his observations, as I am of all the various people’s observations,” Mr. Pataki said.
Passover began at sundown yesterday.
The governor’s comments came one day after Mr. Silver complained that Mr. Pataki would likely issue his major budget vetoes after sundown yesterday, making it impossible for the Assembly leader to respond personally because he does not work or use the telephone on religious holidays.
“People of all religions should have a right to practice their religion,” Mr. Silver told reporters on Tuesday.
“I think it was beneath him and I think it’s unfortunate and sad,” Mr. Pataki, a Roman Catholic, said yesterday.
The deadline for a governor’s action on the budget depends on when the Legislature sends up the final bills. The deadline this year was midnight yesterday.
