State Sen. Thomas Morahan was late for dinner last night in Albany—something that’s not all that unusual for a legislator when there’s business being conducted.
But this was different.
The Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State were holding their annual awards banquet last night at The Desmond Hotel in Colonie, not far from the Capitol. The senator and I were both recipients last night, but Morahan’s chair at a table right in front of the stage was empty when the time came for the presentation to him as as “Legislator of the Year.”
They skipped over him and moved on to one or to other presentations before his arrival—just as dinner was hitting the table.
He was held up because the Senate had been in session until about 8:30, mostly to deal with Gov. Spitzer’s plan to permit the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
They rejected it overwhelmingly.
When the time came for Morahan’s award, the emcee had to stop to ask people at a rear table to quiet down.
They were singing “Happy Birthday” to someone at their table as dessert was served.
After the Morahan citation was read, he stepped up to offer some comments.
The first words out of his mouth were, “Are there any anniversaries? Any other birthdays?”
The crowd of more than 500 burst into laughter.
In the eyes of Jawonio Executive Director Paul Tendler, Morahan is a champion of the cause of creating independence and improving the lives of those with developmental disabilities.
It was clear the other cerebral palsy agencies around the state feel the same.