George Pataki

George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current Governor of New York State (since January 1995). He is a member of the Republican Party and is a Roman Catholic of Hungarian, Irish, and Italian ancestry. He has never lost a competitive political race to date.

Governorship

During the first years of Pataki's administration, he began to institute the major spending cuts which he has advocated for most of his career. In 1999, Governor Pataki signed into law comprehensive health care legislation that provided health insurance coverage, under Family Health Plus, to lower income adults who do not have health insurance through their employers.

Related Topics:
Spending cuts - Health care - Health insurance coverage - Family Health Plus

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In July 2000, Pataki's name surfaced on the short list to be the running mate for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, along with the names of Governor John Engler of Michigan, Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, former Senator John Danforth of Missouri, and former American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole. Bush eventually selected the man who was in charge of scouting vice presidential candidates, former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney.

Related Topics:
July 2000 - George W. Bush - John Engler - Tom Ridge - John Danforth - American Red Cross - Elizabeth Dole - Dick Cheney

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In 2003 Pataki made a controversial budget proposal in which he proposed several tax cuts, despite the state's rising deficits. He also made cuts in education and health care funding which, some say, may close emergency rooms and turn non-profit hospitals into for-profits. Pataki argued that new taxes would drive businesses out of state, reducing jobs, further compounding the deficit problem.

Related Topics:
2003 - Non-profit hospitals

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In August 2004 Pataki introduced President George W. Bush at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. A year prior, Pataki had boasted Bush would carry the state in the 2004 elections. Later, on November 22, 2004, he named the living former presidents honorary members of the board rebuilding the World Trade Center.

Related Topics:
August 2004 - President George W. Bush - Republican National Convention - Madison Square Garden - Manhattan - November 22 - 2004 - World Trade Center

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Pataki has always been moderate on social issues but by his third term many social conservatives simmered over his continued support of abortion rights as well as his heavy lobbying in favor of a gay rights bill which had languished in the state Senate for many years due to the opposition of Senate Leader, Joseph Bruno, from conservative upstate Rensselaer County, New York. In 2003 Bruno finally gave in and the bill passed the senate and was signed into law by Pataki. In the 2004 elections, not only did Republicans' hope of Bush carrying the state fail to materialize, but Democratic US Senator Charles Schumer won over 70% in his reelection bid against handsome, liberal sacrificial lamb Republican Assemblyman Howard Mills, Democrats picked up a Congressional seat, gained seats in the state legislature, and in many local races. Many Republicans such as Congressman Peter T. King blamed Pataki and what they viewed as his aimlessness as causing the rout. Pataki replaced some advisors and the state party replaced their chairman. In 2005, Pataki enjoyed some positive publicity when the state passed its first on-time budget in twenty-one years, but he continued to suffer from low approval ratings.

Related Topics:
Moderate - Abortion rights - Gay rights - Joseph Bruno - Rensselaer County, New York - 2003 - 2004 - Charles Schumer - Howard Mills - Peter T. King - Pataki

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On July 27, 2005, Pataki announced his intention not to seek a fourth term as governor in 2006. Along with several meetings with donors, trips to states important for their primaries, and an August 2005 veto of a bill that would allow sale of the morning-after pill, this fuels speculation that Pataki will seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, although, his "morning-after" pill veto notwithstanding, he may still be too liberal for the party's grassroots to win the nomination.

Related Topics:
July 27 - 2005 - 2006 - August 2005 - Veto - Morning-after pill - 2008 Republican presidential nomination

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