At the risk of sounding like Captain Ahab as he pursued his elusive whale, allow me to opine tonight on David Paterson’s appointment to the MTA. I realize I’ve already questioned his credentials, but with the advocacy groups praising his appointment, someone has to cast a critical eye on this move. I firmly believe it was not a wise one for the MTA.

This morning’s clip comes to us via Fox 5. New York’s former governor sat down with the Good Day New York hosts yesterday to talk about his upcoming role on the MTA Board. Take a gander if you have a few minutes:

For those who want to get right to the meaty part, here’s what Paterson had to say when the Fox hosts asked him about his pending appointment to the MTA Board:

You have to be confirmed by the Senate, and it’s kind of ironic because about ten years because myself and another State Senator Eric Schneiderman, who’s now our attorney general, we actually we were in an action suing the MTA because at the time the MTA had two separate sets of books, one for the public and one for their internal practices and it created a lot of mistrust with the public. What we’re trying to do now is establish the kind of policies that the people of New York could be proud of.

The emphasis clearly is mine, and his statements are more than a bit dismaying. When it comes to recent political history in New York State, the MTA has simply been unable to shake this image of having two sets of books. Despite releasing more budget data than any other state authority and making all of this information available online to the public, New Yorkers are stuck with this ten-year-old image of two sets of books. It was, as I’ve mentioned before, a claim discredited in the state’s highest court and one put forward by a comptroller who ended up in jail on corruption charges.

For the past few years, whenever any politician has cast a wary eye on the MTA, the claim of two sets of books has arisen to the forefront. Yet, it’s a claim with no foundation in established fact. The MTA hasn’t been very good — or even adequate — at spending money efficiently, but it’s been willing to show exactly how it’s spending (or, as some may say, wasting) money. It doesn’t keep two sets of books, and perpetuating this myth does nothing but harm the cause of transit in New York State.

Paterson went on a popular television show and put forward this theory as though it were fact. He also admitted that he did not know how long his MTA Board appointment would be, and he again assailed the payroll tax that he himself saw through Albany. “At one point we had to tax businesses along the MTA corridor a whole lot more than they deserved to pay. Fortunately, this new governor has put an end to that. But at the time we had to close a $20 billion deficit,” he said. That $20 billion isn’t quite accurate either as the payroll tax was designed to close the MTA’s operating budget gap and not its capital funding hole.

At this point, it’s awfully hard to take Paterson seriously as an MTA Board member. Luckily, he’ll be one of 22, and so he won’t be in a position to cause much damage. But let’s not kid ourselves: He’s as qualified to sit on the MTA Board as he was to serve as this state’s governor for two years.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that he is nominating his predecessor in Albany to an open seat on the MTA Board, I was a dissenting voice amidst a chorus of cheers. With advocacy who need to keep themselves in the good graces of the governor praising David Paterson for his willingness to push through a payroll tax to “save” the MTA, I wondered about his constant raids on MTA funding and his inability or unwillingness to do more. After all, he had to find some money or else the MTA would collapse.

Now, as Cuomo, who hasn’t ridden the subway since before he was elected governor, has defended Paterson’s appointment (Daily News, video), the former governor has spoken out on few transit issues. His words do not comfort me and should perhaps give pause to those rushing to endorse his candidacy. In a wide-ranging interview with Capital New York, Paterson essentially shot down every transit funding proposal without offering up much in the wya of new ideas, and in fact, he seemed unfamiliar with some proposed expansion plans that have been out there for years.

Dana Rubinstein has the story:

When I asked soon-to-be M.T.A. board member David Paterson about Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s proposal to revive the commuter tax, the former governor said it was “a perfectly valid concept whose life ended in 1999, and the current thinking does not accommodate it.” Asked if it was just politically unfeasible, Paterson said, “Yeah.”

But another of Stringer’s proposals did find favor with Paterson: the creation of an X line that could be built along existing rights of way connecting subways in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. “His suggestion about the train that connects the outer boroughs, I think, was overlooked,” said Paterson, adding, “And I like how he calls it the ‘X train.’ ‘Ex’ sort of meaning ‘outer’? He should change it to the ‘Y train.’ It would sound more inclusive.”

The Triboro RX plan, as it is known in planning circles, was a part of Lee Sander’s address on the 40th anniversary of the MTA. That speech was delivered two weeks before Paterson took over as governor from the scandal-plagued Eliot Spitzer, but he seems to have little familiarity with it.

Rubinstein had more though on the former governor’s relationship to the payroll tax, a funding mechanism he helped usher in:

The payroll mobility tax proved exceedingly unpopular in the suburbs surrounding New York City, and Governor Cuomo has since rolled it back, which sits poorly with transportation advocates, but which Paterson says was the right thing to do. “The reason I accepted the payroll tax is because I had to close $21 billion of deficit,” said Paterson. “We talk about $10 billion deficits now like it’s the worst thing that ever happened. I’m the only governor in the state that ever had to close $21 billion in their first year. And so at that point, anything that was on the table that involved revenue generation to pay off these debts, I took.”

“But now the governor who has continued to cut spending and has cut two budgets in a row on time, he has rolled back a lot of that tax, and at this point in history, it is precisely the right thing to do,” continued Paterson.

Right now, the M.T.A.’s finances are in a precarious state. The state-run authority’s debt burden is enormous, and it is lacking in sufficient dedicated revenue streams. “That’s a problem that the governor will have to face,” said Paterson. “But I think what the governor is saying is that the distribution of the responsibility has to be more fair, and I totally agree.”

Basically, Paterson is advocating for rolling back the payroll tax while calling any commuter tax a political non-starter. He’s using political buzzwords — such as tax fairness — without paying heed to the issues. He may have, as many have noted, appointed Richard Ravitch to solve the MTA’s problems, but he never embraced the proposals issued by Ravitch. His familiarity with some transit expansion plans that should become reality seems tenuous at best.

Ultimately, Paterson will not make or break the MTA Board. There have plenty of knowledgeable and active board members over the years and plenty who do not attend meetings and have little understanding of the issues facing transit in New York. At a time when transit needs its vocal supporters, Paterson’s early efforts aren’t comforting, but perhaps, he’ll prove me wrong.

The New York State Governor who oversaw the most expansive cuts and constant fare hikes in recent subway history has been nominated to the MTA Board by his successor in Albany. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has named former state executive David Paterson to fill the board seat vacated by the departure of Nancy Shevell. Paterson could serve in this unpaid role for as many as six years.

“Governor Paterson has dedicated his life to working for the people of this state and I am excited that he will continue his public service at the MTA,” Cuomo said today in a statement. “Governor Paterson’s energy, expertise, and experience will benefit the millions of New Yorkers who rely on the MTA every day. I look forward to working together as we continue to reform the MTA and improve service for New Yorkers.”

MTA officials echoed Cuomo’s praise. MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota issued a statement:

“I applaud Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nomination of former Governor David Paterson to the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. I have known the former Governor for 35 years and look forward to the opportunity to work with him again. He has long shared the Governor’s commitment to our mission of providing safe, efficient and effective transportation to more than 8.5 million riders every day. Once confirmed by the Senate, former Governor Paterson will bring a unique and practical perspective, particularly with respect to issues affecting minority communities and disabled New Yorkers. I look forward to former Governor Paterson bringing to our board deliberations the charm, wit and compassion he has shown throughout his public life.”

According to Pete Donohue of the Daily News, who first broke news of the appointment this morning, Cuomo’s desire to strengthen race relations may have played a role in this appointment as Paterson does not have much of a traditional transit background. Shevell, on the other hand, had worked for nearly 30 years in the trucking industry.

The former governor vowed to “take tough stands” on the MTA Board, but I still have to wonder about the wisdom of this pick. After naming Jay Walder to head the MTA, Paterson had a very hands-off approach to transit issues. The New York native repeatedly used his executive budgeting powers to reallocate supposedly dedicated MTA funds to other state projects, and he barely raised a finger when the MTA had to cut service and raise fares in 2010.

Yet, despite Paterson’s record, even Transportation Alternatives seems prepared to offer up their praise. “With another planned fare hike looming in January 2013, Paterson’s experience as a governor and state senator will prove critical to working with Albany lawmakers to find new funding for our transit system, sparing overburdened New Yorkers yet another fare hike. Paterson knows well that straphangers can’t handle another hit to their wallets—as Governor, he saw New Yorkers endure back to back fare hikes and reap service cuts in return. He also created new funding for our transit system. If anyone knows New Yorkers are tired of paying more for less and how to find fairer ways to invest in transit, it’s David Paterson,” Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, said in a statement.

While it’s true that Paterson was head of the state during the implementation of the payroll tax, his path there left him with few options. He didn’t have the political respect to push through bridge tolls, and he settled for the measure the legislature was willing to adopt. Was he forward-thinking or simply bowing to the winds of pressure Albany? Paterson’s record suggests an outlook not nearly as rosy as Trans Alt puts forward.

His appointment will have to go through the New York State Senate for confirmation, but such a vote is generally viewed as a mere formality.