Thursday, July 22, 2010
Andrew Cuomo talks the talk
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo is taking his gubernatorial campaign seriously, with an 11-day tour in a rented Winnebago, visiting Democrats throughout NYS. There are 62 counties, so his work load is quite extensive.
We caught him on the third day of his travels, arriving an expected half an hour late, at 2 PM, in a small meeting room on Warren Street in Hudson, Columbia County, where about a hundred party faithful had gathered on a mercifully less than scorching day. They were tightly packer, seated and standing, while a small squad of local press people milled at the door. First sign of Cuomo’s arrival were two well-dressed bodyguards, checking the premises, while the guest shook hands with local dignitaries. Then, traveling photographers and two film people trooped in, seeking strategic spots, followed by the locals and the guest, slightly taller than the entourage, smiling and waving. The introducer, Richard Scalera, longtime Mayor of Hudson, thanked Cuomo for several federal grants during his 1997-2001 HUD secretaryship years. He was followed by a local Republican ex-Councilman who reminded us to be New Yorkers together, first and foremost, thinking of common goals. and little Michaela Cuomo who introduced her father. This light touch was followed up by the AG, who thanked everybody – he knew all names (no script) and remembered friends who had helped him in the previous campaigns [Cuomo also ran for Governor in 2002, withdrawing in favor of Carl McCall, who lost to Pataki]. That led into the current campaign, which he described as crucial, the state being at a tipping point, the government in desperate need of repair. We have inefficient governance, ineffective legislatures operating on the verge of criminal neglect, acting in service of lobbyists and big donors rather than taking care of hard-working fellow New Yorkers. Creating jobs is the primary requirement, and new taxes are not acceptable. Everybody must realize that the state is broke and everybody must make sacrifices.
How does he intend to cure the shortages and maintain services? Cuomo points to the 1,000 state agencies, authorities and districts, created in good times and using up tax dollars. The cutting of agencies is in his program; likewise, cutting the 10,000 plus local governments and districts, all heavily cost burdened. Property taxes, more than state taxes, are destroying local lifestyles and economies, and many more businesses are ready to jump ship, moving out of state if taxes increase. He intends to work for consolidation of townships into larger units, and more efficient services provided by the larger units.
Cuomo remembers that in his youth, at 21, he was introduced to NYS government, and senators and assemblypeople were role models, not touched by the stigmas of today’s electees. New York always led the country in progressive government, labor legislation, women’s rights environment (Storm King was mentioned), and, now, gay rights. It is now high time to return to principles, budget creation, good government, doing the right thing regardless of voter and pressure group opinions; he would like to see his daughters grow up in a proper New York, as it was in the past.
This, more or less, covers the 15 minute campaign speech, interrupted by applause. Cuomo had several such rallies before Hudson, and a lot after, covering several counties. He was an effective speaker, words and humor flowed effortlessly, much improved from the shorter bits observed earlier in the campaign.
In the cold light of the day, Cuomo’s concern about a potential loss appears exaggerated. Comparing campaign funds, the former Congressman, Republican Rick Lazio has collected under $2 million, compared to Andrew Cuomo’s $26.3 million on hand. The AG raised $9 million in 2010, and is going strong. Lazio’s campaign funds have been nearly spent, for fees, air travel and lodgings while campaigning, and the campaign appears surviving on loans from the candidate, who earned $1.95 million last year as a securities industry consultant. Meanwhile, Carl Paladino, the wealthy Buffalo builder running with Tea Party support, will challenge Lazio in the Republican primary, coming in with 28,000 signatures, quadruple the required amount, after spending some $1.6 million of the $10 million personal funds he has pledged to use. Votes for Paladino rob Lazio of support, and should he lose, the temperamental Paladino may not pull. Maybe, though in this anti-party and anti-politician climate, inexperience and bravado should count as a plus?
As to Cuomo’s intent to cut services, to save taxpayer funds, eliminating agency overlap has been tried before, and combining townships is a corporate merger routine, cutting duplication in administrative overhead. Can Cuomo really not only talk the talk but also walk the walk? It seems there is a chance, Governor David Paterson’s recent brave effort to cut spending , as of a week ago vetoing $190 million in “pork barrel” funds , known as member items, money that legislators hand out in their districts, may start paving the way.. Alas, his cuts also included $419 million in education funding, which will reverberate in property tax increases. Not being a candidate for office and not having to worry about voter and pressure group revenge, Paterson can be brave, and truly lead the way to reform of the NYS legislature, with Cuomo following through. New York’s downfall is its concentration-based racial and ethnic diversity, not the splendid mosaic in David Dinkins’s terms, but ghetto based, leading to secure seats in the legislature. The “safe seats” then constitute the balancing votes that counter and tilt legislative initiatives into inactivity. Good luck, Andrew Cuomo, in walking the walk!
Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo is taking his gubernatorial campaign seriously, with an 11-day tour in a rented Winnebago, visiting Democrats throughout NYS. There are 62 counties, so his work load is quite extensive.
We caught him on the third day of his travels, arriving an expected half an hour late, at 2 PM, in a small meeting room on Warren Street in Hudson, Columbia County, where about a hundred party faithful had gathered on a mercifully less than scorching day. They were tightly packer, seated and standing, while a small squad of local press people milled at the door. First sign of Cuomo’s arrival were two well-dressed bodyguards, checking the premises, while the guest shook hands with local dignitaries. Then, traveling photographers and two film people trooped in, seeking strategic spots, followed by the locals and the guest, slightly taller than the entourage, smiling and waving. The introducer, Richard Scalera, longtime Mayor of Hudson, thanked Cuomo for several federal grants during his 1997-2001 HUD secretaryship years. He was followed by a local Republican ex-Councilman who reminded us to be New Yorkers together, first and foremost, thinking of common goals. and little Michaela Cuomo who introduced her father. This light touch was followed up by the AG, who thanked everybody – he knew all names (no script) and remembered friends who had helped him in the previous campaigns [Cuomo also ran for Governor in 2002, withdrawing in favor of Carl McCall, who lost to Pataki]. That led into the current campaign, which he described as crucial, the state being at a tipping point, the government in desperate need of repair. We have inefficient governance, ineffective legislatures operating on the verge of criminal neglect, acting in service of lobbyists and big donors rather than taking care of hard-working fellow New Yorkers. Creating jobs is the primary requirement, and new taxes are not acceptable. Everybody must realize that the state is broke and everybody must make sacrifices.
How does he intend to cure the shortages and maintain services? Cuomo points to the 1,000 state agencies, authorities and districts, created in good times and using up tax dollars. The cutting of agencies is in his program; likewise, cutting the 10,000 plus local governments and districts, all heavily cost burdened. Property taxes, more than state taxes, are destroying local lifestyles and economies, and many more businesses are ready to jump ship, moving out of state if taxes increase. He intends to work for consolidation of townships into larger units, and more efficient services provided by the larger units.
Cuomo remembers that in his youth, at 21, he was introduced to NYS government, and senators and assemblypeople were role models, not touched by the stigmas of today’s electees. New York always led the country in progressive government, labor legislation, women’s rights environment (Storm King was mentioned), and, now, gay rights. It is now high time to return to principles, budget creation, good government, doing the right thing regardless of voter and pressure group opinions; he would like to see his daughters grow up in a proper New York, as it was in the past.
This, more or less, covers the 15 minute campaign speech, interrupted by applause. Cuomo had several such rallies before Hudson, and a lot after, covering several counties. He was an effective speaker, words and humor flowed effortlessly, much improved from the shorter bits observed earlier in the campaign.
In the cold light of the day, Cuomo’s concern about a potential loss appears exaggerated. Comparing campaign funds, the former Congressman, Republican Rick Lazio has collected under $2 million, compared to Andrew Cuomo’s $26.3 million on hand. The AG raised $9 million in 2010, and is going strong. Lazio’s campaign funds have been nearly spent, for fees, air travel and lodgings while campaigning, and the campaign appears surviving on loans from the candidate, who earned $1.95 million last year as a securities industry consultant. Meanwhile, Carl Paladino, the wealthy Buffalo builder running with Tea Party support, will challenge Lazio in the Republican primary, coming in with 28,000 signatures, quadruple the required amount, after spending some $1.6 million of the $10 million personal funds he has pledged to use. Votes for Paladino rob Lazio of support, and should he lose, the temperamental Paladino may not pull. Maybe, though in this anti-party and anti-politician climate, inexperience and bravado should count as a plus?
As to Cuomo’s intent to cut services, to save taxpayer funds, eliminating agency overlap has been tried before, and combining townships is a corporate merger routine, cutting duplication in administrative overhead. Can Cuomo really not only talk the talk but also walk the walk? It seems there is a chance, Governor David Paterson’s recent brave effort to cut spending , as of a week ago vetoing $190 million in “pork barrel” funds , known as member items, money that legislators hand out in their districts, may start paving the way.. Alas, his cuts also included $419 million in education funding, which will reverberate in property tax increases. Not being a candidate for office and not having to worry about voter and pressure group revenge, Paterson can be brave, and truly lead the way to reform of the NYS legislature, with Cuomo following through. New York’s downfall is its concentration-based racial and ethnic diversity, not the splendid mosaic in David Dinkins’s terms, but ghetto based, leading to secure seats in the legislature. The “safe seats” then constitute the balancing votes that counter and tilt legislative initiatives into inactivity. Good luck, Andrew Cuomo, in walking the walk!
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 11:19 AM 
