Albany, NY – After a tough legal battle last year, a court ruled the Governor of New York did have the power to appoint a lieutenant governor without any say from the State Senate or Assembly.
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In July, Richard Ravitch was put in place as the Lieutenant Governor to break any ties in the State Senate. But if speculation that Paterson will leave office turns out to be true, Ravitch, who was not elected, will become governor.
The 76-year-old Manhattan lawyer is best known as the former head of the New York City Transit System. In 1989, he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York City. And if he moves in to governor’s mansion, he, like Paterson can appoint his number two person.
“And now he has the power, Ravitch, to appoint his lieutenant governor because the board of appeals says he could,” said Peter Galie, an expert on the New York State Constitution.
It would be a first for New York, a governor and lieutenant governor who were both appointed not elected by the people.
“We want checks and balances and we don’t have that in New York right now,” said Galie.
“The Brennan Report once said about the legislature that the legislative process is dysfunctional and the system is broken,” he replied. “Now I think we can fairly say that the executive process is broken as well. That we have a gubernatorial succession system that is simply unacceptable where you can end up with two people neither of whom were elected governor of this state.”
Galie says there is only one way you can change the way for filling a vacant lieutenant governor’s seat. The legislature would have to approve an amendment to the state constitution that would then have to be voted on by the people.
patterson was never elected either, why is that not a first?
whats the problem , last i heard the federal government is no different . gerold ford became president and he was not elected and chose his own vice president . it was the same by Lyndon Johnson .
Something like this happened in Maryland in 1969. Back then, the state did not have a Lt. Governor. When Spiro Agnew resigned to become Vice President, the legislature elected Marvin Mandel as Governor. Mandel was later elected by the people to two terms. So far, Mandel is Maryland’s only Jewish governor.
who is the person in the picture behind Speaker Silver? the man has a yarlmika
Who’s the guy in the yarmulke behind sheldon Silver?
Same as Gerald Ford.
This is only IF the Governor resigns
Why bring up Ifs??
There are Much more ifs that we can imagine but no need to worry before this happens…
for the first time to be a unelected gov. lt. gov. and senator what a state we have when the leaders don’t have morral values its a shame
The man behind speaker silver is Rabbi Tzvi Romm, Morah D’asrah of the Bialystoker Synagogue on the lower east side. He is a wonderful man. Young, very learned but very modest.
if Ravitch doesen’t have PITER OFEN KOP like Spitzer and Patterson he doesn’t have to worry. you gotta have credits to have this “honoroble” job. VDEI LECHAKIMA BERMIZA
Bigger than this. Nixon’s VP, Sprio Agnew resigned from his position. He was replaced by unelected Gerald Ford. When Nixon later resigned, Ford became president and unelected Nelson Rockefeller became his VP. The nation had both a President and Vice-President who were both not elected by the people.
The nation ran just fine.