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September 1, 2010

EDITORIAL: The governor's record keeping

Press-Republican

When former Assemblyman Chris Ortloff decided upon leaving office to donate his papers to Plattsburgh State to be kept in perpetuity, some people scoffed. Despite 20 years in the Assembly, they derided, Ortloff's record was of small consequence to the public. Moreover, he'd arranged to hire a Republican Party veteran at state expense to organize and catalogue the documents. Critics called it presumptuous and a needless cost.

But to have Ortloff's records on file was better than not having them, whether they were of historic moment or not.

In contrast, the records of the governor of New York state can wind up in an archive, in somebody's attic or in a landfill, for that matter. There is no law directing that the records be preserved.

Some governors have kept for themselves their records in office. A few have donated them to be archived. Some have given them away. Some have destroyed them.

It's sad to think that the daily physical and mental meanderings of someone as important as the governor of New York state may be lost to posterity for lack of interest or by intentional disposal of them. Surely, future historians — or maybe just plain citizens — could make good use of them. By no means should the period of history corresponding to a gubernatorial term be allowed to disappear.

Thus, a bill has been passed by both houses of the State Legislature that would require governors leaving office to transfer their records to the New York State Archives. The bill awaits the signature of Gov. David Paterson to be enacted.

Yet there are indications he may not sign it. Every resident of New York state should wonder why.

Surely, it should not be personal modesty that prompts the governor into not signing this important legislation. Even if he doesn't regard his short stay in office as historic, that assessment should not be his to make.

Besides, it certainly was historic. Never has New York been so beset by economic and political turmoil as during the past two years. Chaos reigned in the Capital and on Wall Street. Paterson's thoughts and actions to combat the dual sites of tumult rightfully belong to the people of the state so that future periods can be avoided or, at least, confronted with history as a teacher.

To think otherwise is beyond comprehension. Could the governor actually believe his records and their destiny are his own personal prerogative? When he took office, everything he did in the public's behalf became the property of the public.

On every level of government, the notion of preserving for history gains more importance each year. The governor of the nation's third-largest state should be no exception.

On this issue, Ortloff was closer to right than Paterson. We urge the governor to see what appears perfectly obvious: that the records of the governor belong to the people.

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