Brooklyn, Long Island, what’s the difference?

Gov. Paterson just kicked off his budget town hall at Brooklyn Borough Hall with an eyebrow-raising reference to Kings County, thanking people for joining him “right here where I grew up in Brooklyn.”

He was born in Brooklyn, as it was noted at the beginning of the event — but the governor grew up in Hempstead, Long Island, which was the significance of the kickoff to his week-long campaign for election being held there.