early and often

Governor Paterson Is Kind of a Cheapskate

Michelle Paige Paterson

What a difference an apron makes.Photo: NYP

We learn today that while David Paterson was busy being up to no good in recent years, in terms of charitable giving he was, well, up to no good. Last year he and his wife, Michelle, who earn a combined $269,000, only donated $150 to those less fortunate — in the form of a used-clothing drop-off at the Salvation Army. Percentage-wise, that’s much less than other Albany notables, like Eliot Spitzer, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, paid out of their own salaries. As with many of the things he did before he took over the governorship, Paterson’s charitable giving was probably not planned with high scrutiny in mind. But he was toiling in a somewhat thankless public-service job as lieutenant governor at the time, so you can’t really question his commitment to serving others. Meanwhile, the above picture of his wife, “Michelle Paige,” is from the Post’s Website version of this story. Man, she does not look how we remembered at all.

GOV IS PLAIN CHEAP [NYP]

Governor Paterson Is Kind of a Cheapskate