What happened to the old David Paterson?

From The Huffington Post:

In July 2005, in the wake of the Supreme Court's notorious Kelo eminent domain decision, State Senator David Paterson wanted a moratorium on eminent domain. It was reported by the now defunct (and missed) New York Sun:

"At a rally on the steps of City Hall yesterday, a State Senate leader, David Paterson, a Democrat, along with a small gathering of Harlem civic leaders and three City Council members, called for a state-wide blanket moratorium on the use of eminent domain following the recent Supreme Court decision that is widely interpreted as expanding the law's reach."

Over four years and one deposed governor later, Senator Paterson is now Governor Paterson and Governor Paterson has never renewed his call for a moratorium on eminent domain. Instead his administration approved eminent domain for Columbia University's expansion (which he once opposed) and re-approved eminent domain for Atlantic Yards this past September.

In the wake of last week's Court of Appeals ruling his Administration, through the ESDC, is this close to seizing private properties for Ratner's project. (The plaintiffs will litigate the state's next steps to take title to their properties.)

The governor must be asked, and he must ask himself, what principle has changed since 2005 that would enable him to stomach property seizures when he has the power to stop them—power he did not have in 2005. There is no good answer.