Anthony Shorris

Governor Paterson seems to be striving to put his signature on development projects around the state, as his decision to jettison the executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Anthony Shorris, suggests.

Taken with the top job at the Empire State Development Corporation, the state’s top two posts responsible for economic development are now both free, awaiting appointments of Mr. Paterson’s choosing. Other than those two positions, the governor, now more than a month into his job, has freed up relatively few other top jobs thus far, accepting the resignations of the commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, and the acting state police superintendent.

The forced departure of Mr. Shorris, who oversaw billions of dollars in construction projects including the World Trade Center redevelopment, comes a week after Mr. Paterson declared he would “revisit the issue at Ground Zero” at a breakfast, referencing the potential for delays at the site. It was unclear exactly what he meant at the time, though now the remark seems to make more sense.

Many in and out of government described Mr. Shorris as an intelligent administrator, giving him high marks in his job at the Port Authority. Still, he was said to not have tremendous political acumen, occasionally leaving politicians and officials feeling rebuffed.  read more »

The directors of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey were not part of the mass of resignations requested by the Paterson administration.

The Times Union reported today that Governor Paterson’s staff has asked all directors and commissioners to put in their letters of resignation so as to give the new governor more flexibility in shaping his administration.  read more »