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Nick Reisman
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Posts by Nick Reisman
Redistricting: What’s Next?
Feb 22nd - 12:01 pm
That’s the main question here at the Capitol as we continue to parse through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s words on the subject.
As amplified earlier by Colin Campbell of The New York Observer, the Democrat and Chronicle posted a 14-minute audio clip of Cuomo’s editorial board visit in which he basically admitting that he isn’t going to get what he wants with redistricting this year, namely an independent panel.
Cuomo insisted he tried to press the case, but blamed the Legislature for not going along.
“I’ve done it, they just said no,” he said. “I just lost, is what happened. It’s not that they didn’t hear me, they just said no.”
Cuomo also told the editorial board that he saw progress being made in the form of a Constitutional amendment
“I think we’re making progress and I think it’s going to have support from the people of this state,” he said.
We’ll probably continue that parsing after today’s 12:15 cabinet meeting in the Red Room where the topic of redistricting is sure to be brought up by reporters.
The stakes are highest for the Senate, where Republicans are trying their best to keep and even expand their thin majority, currently at 32-29 with one vacancy.
Senate Democrats continue to press that Cuomo will follow through with his veto and are trying to apply back-channel pressure through minority advocacy groups like the NAACP, the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and others.
Lawmakers want to vote on the maps, at least the already-proposed and revised districts for Senate and Assembly maps by March 1. That means any bill would need to be introduced by Monday in order to comply with the three-day aging requirement (it is highly unlikely Cuomo would issue a message of necessity).
There are a multitude of scenarios and permutations that could be played out in the coming days.
The Democratic-led Assembly and Republican-controlled Senate could possibly fail to reconcile their differences on House lines, producing two different maps that eliminate or merge different districts.
The federal lawsuit on redistricting could be fast-tracked starting Monday, when all sides are due to meet with a magistrate. Democrats hope the judge could start the process right then and there with a special master beginning to draw their own maps that week. That’s very possible, given the June 26 primary date for House elections.
But a lot is riding on whether the governor would follow through with his veto as he and members of his administration continue to insist.
“I think the main question is does the governor want to force a real confrontation,” said Bob Ward of the Rockefeller Institute. “And for that matter, do the courts? Starting with the courts, will the Legislature try to work around, try to do something that the federal court would accept? Or would they try to work around that with an appeal?”
It’s A Charlie Rangel Dance Party
Feb 22nd - 11:03 am
Rep. Charlie Rangel’s twitter account made the political world aware of this gem of a video posted to YouTube of the congressman showing off his dance moves.
But I can’t help but wonder when and if Rangel’s numerous opponents this year will re-appropriate this into some sort of an attack ad.
LATFOR’s Motion To Dismiss Is Denied
Feb 21st - 5:52 pm
A motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against the lawmaker-driven task force on redistricting was denied late this afternoon, paving the way for the a three-judge panel and special master to take control of the process.
A complete opinion is yet to be issued, but the court-appointed panel of three judges will now begin “preparing a redistricting plan, deadlines, and the appointment of experts.” The ruling also calls for lawyers on both sides to appear in court as soon as possible, given the “urgency” of redistricting.
Both sides are due to meet with the judge on Feb. 27.
Earlier this month Jude Dora Irizarry, a Republican, ruled that an appeals court form a three-judge panel that in turn is empowered to appoint a special master to oversee the redistricting process.
Today’s ruling, handed down by the U.S. District Court, comes after lawyers representing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos asked that the special master only oversee the process only oversee the lines for Congressional districts.
Proposed maps for Senate and Assembly have been released to much criticism from good-government types, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and editorial board. House lines, however, are not expected until next week.
Cuomo 2014 Mails On Teacher Evals
Feb 21st - 4:23 pm
In a sign of just how big a political and public relations victory the teacher evaluation deal was, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign committee sent a letter to supporters trumpeting ther news.
From the letter:
As a result of his efforts, the leadership of the teachers’ unions and State Education Commissioner John King joined Governor Cuomo last Thursday to announce the creation of a groundbreaking teacher evaluation system that makes New York a national leader in education reform.
The letter includes links to editorials from The New York Times and Rochester Democrat and Chronicle offering kind words on the deal, which was announced last Thursday right up to the 30-day amendment deadline.
Using the teacher evaluation agreement as a campaign tool highlights how much the governor and his team consider the deal to be a fundamental victory, even if the so-called reforms are tweaks to an already established product: good headlines, tough talk with unions and a framing of the debate over education standards that focuses on quantifiable results.
The full letter is after the jump. More >
Let NY Works On Tier VI, Mythbusters Edition
Feb 21st - 2:39 pm
Underlying the debate over the new, less generous pension tier as proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the option of a defined contribution plan and how it’s been referred to as a “401(k)-type” system.
The proposal, which only applies to future public employees, is being touted for its portability (meaning you can take it to other jobs with minimal fuss) as well as its potential savings to the state.
But organized labor has its opening when it’s described as a 401(k) retirement plan, mostly because workers in the private sector have seen their own plans lose a tremendous amount of value over the last several years of market violatility. Aside from an increase in the retirement age, it’s the simplest facet of the plan to understand and is a good way to turn the opinion of non-public employees.
So that’s why among the “Myths versus Realities” list from Let NY Work, a coalition of business, education and local government groups pushing Tier VI, the 401(k) notion is firmly pushed back on.
From the group:
“Longstanding voluntary participation by SUNY, CUNY and Federal government employees in Defined Contribution plans — that ARE NOT 401(k)plans –has proven successful from both an employee and employer perspective.”
But perhaps the bigger concern unions have — including the smaller local ones that represent fire and police departments — is the concern Tier VI would hurt recruitment in the long run (though you can’t prove a negative, necessarily).
Observers around the Capitol seem to think the governor will get at least part of Tier VI, given that it is in his 2012-13 budget proposal and he controls most of the process. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told Ken Lovett that he’s uneasy with the governor’s broad prescription on pensions.
PEF President Ken Brynien said a public campaign against the proposal kicks into high gear in March, with letter writing efforts, ads and direct lobbying.
Tier 6 pension reform myth vs reality
View more documents from Unshackle Upstate
Rosen Says Lowey Is Likable, But…
Feb 21st - 1:31 pm
Buried in Republican House candidate Mark Rosen’s email about his support for term limits on the federal level is this interesting rhetorical device regarding Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey:
While I believe Congresswoman Nita Lowey is a well-meaning public servant, she is also a career politician, currently in her 24th year in Congress, who has not provided leadership in delivering creative and effective solutions for the challenges of our time.
Rosen isn’t attacking Lowey’s intentions — he’s going after her tenure and record.
In a way, it’s a similar phrase Mitt Romeny deploys when talking about President Obama: “He’s a nice guy, but he just doesn’t get it.”
I would not be surprised if Rosen’s internal polling shows Lowey, a longtime congresswoman, to be pretty popular in her Westchester County district. Unseating Lowey is not the world’s easiest task, but Rosen, a retired Arm officer and businessman, is seen as the GOP’s best shot at doing in so in decades.
DiNapoli: Tax Cap May Warrant More Reliance on Sales Tax
Feb 21st - 11:05 am
With the 2 percent limit on local property-tax levies in place, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said that local governments may need to rely more on sales tax revenue to balance their ledgers.
“The positive growth last year in sales tax collections are a good sign for the economy, but continued caution is warranted,” DiNapoli said. “New York’s economy has improved over the past two years, but growth has been sluggish and unevenly distributed throughout the state. The degree to which local governments depend on sales taxes varies, but it is an important source of revenue for many. As localities adjust to the property tax cap, more may turn to sales tax revenues to fill in budget gaps.”
Up until he engineered an overhaul of the tax code in December, the long-sought property tax cap was Cuomo’s signature economic achievement.
DiNapoli today issued a report that found sales tax revenue by a combined $650 million, or 5 percent, in 2011. Though at first glance it’s good news as the economic picture brightens, that’s a slower rate than the previous year.
The strongest sales tax growth was in the flood-ravaged Southern Tier region, where residents and businesses were spurred to purchase replacement appliances and rebuild in response to storm damage.
It has also been increasingly difficult for county governments to increase their own sale tax rates. Senate Republicans, trying to reverse the state’s high-tax image, have stalled “home rule” bills in the Legislature that enable the tax increases on the local level.
Extras
Feb 20th - 4:53 pm
Could there be a state government shutdown over Tier VI?
Lew Fidler is losing some of his reputed endorsements, though some may not have formally backed him.
Josh Benson observes on redistricting: “What anyone can see now is that the governor is wobbling on the veto promise.”
Lawyers for Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver really hope the special master for redistricting is limited to House lines.
Rep. Michael Grimm tells Good Day NY there’s a political motivation behind negative press he’s been getting in The Times.
Staten Island Republicans are standing by Grimm: “State Senator Andrew Lanza referred to the congressman as “beloved,” and cautioned the crowd not to believe the allegations they might read in the papers or on blogs “because they usually come from cowards.”
NY-19 Democratic House candidate Richard Becker called on an independent investigation of Grimm and issued a “demand” for Rep. Nan Hayworth to do the same (no link).
A white-shoe Manhattan law firm with ties to Al Gore and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is the top donor to the New York Congressional delegation.
The extent of the NYPD’s monitoring program goes all the way to SUNY Buffalo, where a student’s forwarded email is raises red flags.
The National Federation Of Independent Businesses is joining the blogosphere.
Environmental advocates point to what they say is a “glaring” hole in regulations for hydrofracking wastewater.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he’s giving up eating pasta for Lent. Good thing he fit in a little trip to Italy before hand.
Business owners say increasing the minimum wage couldn’t come at a worse time.
An economist at The Huffington Post sees the minimum wage issue far differently.
NY Mag wants to know which mayoral wannabe has the best theme song.
The corruption trial of a Yonkers city councilwoman gives the public a window to the weirder side of Westchester County politics.
Donald Trump is riding to the rescue for Mitt Romney in Michigan.
Stephen Colbert is returning to TV tonight, but his mother is still ill.
Happy Presidents Day (which is really a fake stand-in for the real holiday, Washington’s Birthday).
Brynien: ‘Even Popular People Can Be Wrong’
Feb 20th - 3:31 pm
At first glance, the state’s labor unions face an uphill battle in halting the march to a new, less generous pension tier for future state workers as prescribed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The Tier VI proposal is staunchly opposed by the state’s labor organizations, but Cuomo’s insertion of the plan into his budget proposal practically guarantees its passage. It helps that the governor has a sky-high approval rating and that most voters seem to support Tier VI, which includes an optional defined-contribution component.
But Public Employees Federation President Ken Brynien sees it differently.
“Even popular people can be wrong sometimes and in this case, the governor is wrong,” Brynien told me Sunday night.
But the fact that Cuomo’s popularity helps him the budget and pension battle was highlighted after the Civil Service Employees Association released a television ad in opposition that didn’t mention or show the governor with the 70 percent approval rating.
Of course, Cuomo’s plan has a flip side. Putting the proposal into the budget does risk the possibility of a government shutdown should state lawmakers balk at the idea. Brynien went further with Jimmy Vielkind, telling him it should a “line in the sand” for pro-union legislators.
The pension plan has roughly zero effect on this year’s $132.5 billion budget, but does save $83 billion over the course of 30 years. Cuomo has said the state pension fund is in dire need of transformation given the amount of money it costs local and state governments.
Given the timetable for this year’s budget — lawmakers want to get it done by March 22 — gives unions even less time to muster resistance. The budget is due April 1, the start of the 2012-13 fiscal year. Labor plans to make its stand in March through coordination with affiliated unions and a mix of direct lobbying, ads and rallies.
“We’ve already started some ads as you know,” Brynien said. “We’re working with some other unions in the AFL-CIO to produce them. Probably throughout the month of March there’ll be direct lobbying of legislators both in Albany and in their districts. There’ll be more ads, there might be a rally or two, there will be a lot of letter writing. Everybody pretty much assumes that the budget will be done by the end of March, so March is the month that we’re going to put on all our efforts to get this changed.”
Charles Barron Really Wanted To See Cuomo In Albany
Feb 20th - 2:18 pm
New York City Councilman Charles Barron did not get a chance to give an encore performance of his protest during Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s speech at the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus annual conference in Albany.
Though he hosted a private get together for Assemblyman Herman ”Denny” Farrell’s 80th birthday at the Executive Mansion, Cuomo spent Sunday night out of the capital. He told Fred Dicker on Talk-1300 last week that an event for his daughter took him out of town.
But Barron, a former Black Panther who seems to relish getting under the governor’s skin every chance his gets, claimed the governor stayed away in part because of last year’s outburst.
“There’s more to confront him on about his proposed budget and maybe more people will join us this year,” Barron said. “So my understanding is that he wanted some assurances that that wouldn’t happen and he couldn’t be given that. So he has a private session in his little mansion — public housing by the way.”
Barron’s protest last year, which included his wife and a handful of others, interrupted Cuomo’s speech for a few minutes as they marched around the room demonstrating against his budget cuts in last year’s spending plan.
Barron is currently running for the House seat held by Ed Towns in a three-way primary that includes Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries. He seemed down-right disappointed that Cuomo wasn’t attending.
“He should be able to come before the representatives and explain his budget and some of his policies that are hurting this state,” Barron said. “You should not decide not to come tonight because people couldn’t guarantee you you’re wouldn’t get confronted. That’s what politics is all about: to get confronted on your issues. And if you can’t stand up to that, maybe you shouldn’t be governor.”
Cuomo was the only statewide official who didn’t attend the black-tie gala Sunday evening. Sen. Gustavo Rivera, D-Bronx, one of the conference’s co-chairmen, told me he wasn’t offended the governor didn’t show.
“The fact that he’s not here tonight, I don’t feel slighted in the least,” Rivera said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we’re going to be doing together over the next couple of months and I know that we’re going to be able to do them.”
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