Black, Latino and Asian Cacaus Gala Dinner

Laughter filled the Nelson A. Rockefeller Convention Center’s dining hall as Gov. David Patterson joked about the economic crisis facing New York State.

“We got a $15 billion dollar deficit and I got no money to pay for it, so why’d I have to be the first African American governor blues,” said Patterson

The Governor was referring to a longer joke that New Yorkers are complaining about jobs, home evictions and … men.

“I ain’t got no man blues,” said Patterson about women throughout the state.

The unemployment rate facing the state is staggering when looking at minorities. About 12 percent of Hispanics are unemployed and 9.7 percent of African Americans are jobless as well.

Unemployment is not the only dilemma facing minorities, one out of 35 Hispanics and African Americans have no health insurance in the state.

Patterson said that the problem cannot be solved alone though.

“If a person works alone, he or she can accomplish very little,” said Patterson.

In his closing remarks, Patterson addressed the deficit. The federal budget enjoyed a $2 trillion surplus at the end of Clinton’s eight-year term. Five years later, the budget suffered from a $5 trillion deficit. The Governor laid the blame at the feet of Republicans, but touched on a return to better times.

“(We need to) establish ourselves as the superpower we are and lead the globe,” said the Governor.

The Undergraduate Student Government will be returning to New York City tomorrow afternoon. Full coverage of the weekend’s can be found in the Feb. 23 issue of The Ticker.