Albany, NY - Pataki Faults Silver On Passover

Albany, NY - Gov. George Pataki slammed 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 as he announced $2.9 billion in vetoes from what he said was an $115.5 billion budget approved by lawmakers.
"He knows that I've gone out of my way to be cognizant of his (religious) observations, as I am of all the various people's observations," Pataki said.

The governor's comments came one day after Silver complained that Pataki would likely issue his major budget vetoes after sundown on Wednesday making it impossible for the Assembly leader to personally respond because he does not work or use the telephone on religious holidays.
"People of all religions should have a right to practice their religion," Silver told reporters on Tuesday.
"I think it was beneath him and I think it's unfortunate and sad," Pataki, a Roman Catholic, said Wednesday.
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 Wednesday.