We wrote the governor a letter asking him questions about himself and his responsibilities. He was nice enough to write us back; in fact, we are thrilled that he did!

We learned that Governor Pataki grew up on a farm in Peekskill, New York, which is a neighbor to the town we live in and the school we attend. He went to public schools in Peekskill. He went to college at Yale University and then to Columbia Law School. The governor worked very hard in school and college. His first job was practicing law and then he was elected Mayor of Peekskill. Governor Pataki has held many public offices. He was a member of the New York Assembly and the New York State Senate before he was governor. (We realized that another person we included in our virtual museum, DeWitt Clinton, held many of the same positions Governor Pataki has had.)

Mr. Pataki has been elected governor of our state three times. His job is to represent the interests of the citizens of New York. Some of his responsibilities are preparing our state's Budget, heading our state's military and navy, creating jobs, protecting the environment and public health, reducing crime and improving education. He is also responsible for enforcing our state laws. The governor works very closely with the State Legislature and the Federal Government.