- Sign held up during Auburn's Founders Day parade

If there was one disappointment in what was a fantastic first Founders Day on Saturday it is that New York Gov. David Paterson, took a pass on the day. Instead he decided to attend the Belmont Stakes for the last leg of the Triple Crown.

Paterson's failure to show up is just another example of his failing to go to smaller upstate venues in favor of spending time in larger media markets. That may cost him, going into his election campaign next year.

While those in attendance, even if they did not agree with her politics, were respectful and gave Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin round after round of applause. The only noticeable booing that occurred at the ceremony at City Hall seemed to occur when state Sen. David Valesky seemed to draw the short straw and had the unpopular task of reading a letter from the absentee governor. While the content of the letter may have been a hit - the booing clearly said much about the governor's standing here.

While Paterson spent Saturday with a larger crowd at the horse races and got some national television exposure, he was likely a so-so sized fish in a very big pond. In Auburn, he would have been second fiddle possibly to only Palin, but still considered a superstar for the day. Apparently several high-ranking Democrats, locally and regionally, tried to get Paterson to change his plans, but he took a pass on celebrating the life of one of his predecessors - William H. Seward - who was the 12th governor of the Empire State, from 1839 to 1842.

Paterson, who has had a propensity of having bad advice from his staff in Albany - something that Democrats and Republican leaders both mention in conversation - has likely blown any of the good will he garnered from Auburnians when he spoke at Cayuga Community College at the end of January.

He could have attended Founders Day until at least 1 p.m. and still made the awards ceremony at Belmont at 7 p.m. - six hours later - using state transportation.

Now, as Auburn goes on to plan next year's Founders Day, Paterson is in a no-win situation if he shows up in 2010 when he is up for election. If he does the right thing and visits Auburn it will look more like election year politics and not doing just the right thing on the ceremonial front. If he doesn't show up, anyone running against him who visits will get an easy bump in local polling.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com