Life and background of David Paterson

David Paterson was born in Brooklyn to Portia and Basil Paterson, later a New York state senator and secretary of state, and deputy mayor of New York City.] His younger brother, Daniel, now works in the New York state court system. cite news |title=From Harlem to Albany |date=2008-03-15 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/15/nyregion/20080316_PATERSON_TIMELINE.html |work=The New York Times |format=Flash |accessdate=2008-03-27 |quote=...has a younger brother, Daniel, who works for the New York state court system... 1971... [David Peterson] becomes the first legally disabled person to attend the district's public schools and graduates from Hempstead High School in three years. |page= 1st and 4th slide] Paterson's father Basil has Caribbean roots; Basil's mother was Jamaican, his father Curaçaoan/Grenadian. [cite news
url=http://news.caribseek.com/Barbados/Daily_Nation/article_63341.shtml
title= Paterson claims Caribbean roots
first= Tony |last=Best
date=2008-03-16
work=The Daily Nation
location= Barbados
accessdate=2008-03-20] [cite web
url=http://www.cbc.bb/index.pl/article?id=193759
title= New NY Govenor sic is son of Caribbean nationals
publisher= Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation
location= Barbados
accessdate=2008-03-20] Clarifyme|date=March 2008

At the age of three months, Paterson contracted an ear infection which spread to his optic nerve, leaving him with no sight in his left eye and severely limited vision in his right.] Since New York City public schools would not guarantee him an education without placing him in special education classes, his family bought a home in the Long Island suburb of Hempstead so that he could attend mainstream classes there. The first disabled student in the Hempstead public schools, he graduated from Hempstead High School in 1971. cite news
last= Salmon
first= Stephanie
url= http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/03/11/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-david-paterson.html
title= 10 Things You Didn't Know About David Paterson
work= U.S. News & World Report
accessdate= 2008-03-11] cite news
url= http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-lihemp0312,0,5292249.story
work= Newsday
title= Paterson was standout student who beat the odds
first= Nia-Malika
last= Henderson
date= 2008-03-12
accessdate=2008-03-27
quote=At Fulton School, Paterson was in the forefront of integrating the school system, both because of his race and disability... From Fulton School, Paterson went onto Hempstead High School, where he graduated in 1971... In the 1969 yearbook, Paterson is in the radio club... During his years at the high school, the population was integrated, yet white flight was becoming apparent, students recalled.] cite news
url=http://www.observer.com/node/38382
title=Spitzer's Mate David Paterson Is Mystery Man
work= The New York Observer
date= 2006-02-12
first= Ben
last= Smith
accessdate=2008-03-10]

Paterson received a BA in history from Columbia University in 1977 and a law degree from Hofstra Law School in 1983. After law school, he went to work for the Queens District Attorney's Office, but was unable to complete the New York bar examination, and so did not become an attorney at law. He attributed his failing the New York bar to insufficient accommodation for his visual impairment, and has since advocated for changes in bar exam procedures.

Paterson is an active advocate for people with visual and physical impairments. He was elected a member of the American Foundation for the Blind and serves on the board of directors of the Achilles Track Club, an organization which sponsors disabled athletes and disabled veterans competing in marathons. cite web
url= http://www.achillestrackclub.org/who/board.html
title= Board of Directors
publisher= Achilles Track Club
accessdate= 2008-03-11] Paterson completed the New York City Marathon in 1999.cite news
url=http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/oct2006_profile_01.htm
work=Life Extension Magazine
date= October 2006
title= New York State Senator David A. Paterson
first= Sue
last= Kovach
accessdate=2008-03-11]

Paterson is also a basketball player and an avid fan of the New York Mets, the New York Jets and the New York Knicks. He has been known to call in to WFAN, a major sports talk radio station in New York City.cite news
url=http://www.wfan.com/pages/744549.php
title=Other WFAN Audio
date=2008-02-02
accessdate=2008-03-11]

Paterson was selected by the Mets to throw out the first pitch of the game on April 15, 2008, [http://mets.mlb.com/mlb/events/jrd/ Jackie Robinson Day] , at Shea Stadium, as part of the ceremonies commemorating Jackie Robinson's major league debut on that day 61 years prior. [Spector, Joseph. " [http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2008/04/15/is-this-open-government/ Is this open government?] ". "Journal News". April 15, 2008.]

Personal life

On November 21, 1992, Paterson married Michelle Paige Paterson, a health care administrator, who had a daughter, Ashley, from a previous marriage. Together they have a son, Alex, born February 27, 1994. The family lives in Harlem. Ashley entered Ithaca College in Fall 2006,Fact|date=March 2008 and Alex attends school in New York City.Fact|date=March 2008

Extramarital affairs

One day after Paterson's inauguration as the Governor of New York, he acknowledged having had extramarital affairs, one with a state employee. [cite news
title = N.Y. governor: State employee among my several affairs
work = CNN
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/18/paterson.affairs.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
accessdate = 2008-03-22 ] The "New York Post" has reported that one of these women was Olympic medalist Diane Dixon. [cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192008/news/regionalnews/paterson_gals_tape_shocker_102550.htm |title=Paterson Gals's Tape Shocker |first=Fredric U. |last=Dicker |work=New York Post |date=2008-03-19 |accessdate=2008-03-20 ] On March 20, 2008, the "Daily News" reported that Paterson improperly billed his campaign for at least one hotel tryst with a girlfriend. [cite news |author=Anderson, Liz |url=http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2008/03/20/paterson-disclosurerevelation-roundup/ |title=Paterson disclosure/revelation roundup |work=Journal News |date=2008-03-20 ] [cite news |author=Lesser, Ben, Joe Mahoney and Greg Smith |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03/20/2008-03-20_gov_paterson_says_he_may_have_used_campa.html |title=Gov. Paterson says he may have used campaign cash for hotel hookup |work=Daily News |date=2008-03-20 ] Paterson's self-admissions are in contravention to what the press has dubbed the "Bear Mountain Compact", [cite news |author=Baker, Al |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E7D7173FF935A25756C0A9629C8B63 |title=Albany Faces Its Sex Problem, and Nobody's Snickering |work=The New York Times |date=2004-05-16 ] a practice by lawmakers that their transgressions north of the Bear Mountain Bridge will not be reported south of it. [cite news |author=Gormley, Michael |url=http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS01/803200363 |title=Talk of sex dominates Albany |work=Associated Press |date=2008-03-20 ] [cite book
last = Burnett
first = Marie Miranti
title = Sex, Secrets, and Lies: The Marriage Vows Revisted
publisher = iUniverse
date = 2005
pages = p.3
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=D9mi_FH1ucgC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=%22Bear+Mountain+Compact%22&source=web&ots=VHmHmdv04X&sig=5K8Galxgz_X48dgRXEBwz7O6hZo&hl=en
isbn = 0595340822
accessdate = 2008-03-24] [cite news
author=Tomasky, Michael |url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/newyork/n_8897/ |title=Capital Offense |work=New York Magazine |date=2003-06-23 ]

Drug use in youth

Several days after revelation of his marital affairs, Paterson appeared on "NY1 News", where he discussed using marijuana, and "a few times" cocaine, in his early 20s. He called the disclosure "open and transparent", aimed at moving attention forward to current political issues. [cite news |url=http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=79737 |title=Paterson Admits To Illegal Drug Use In The Past, Including Cocaine |work=NY1 News |date=2008-03-25 |accessdate=2008-03-25 ]

References