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Andrew Cuomo
A Campaign Finance Movement Turns Its Lonely Eyes To NY
May 3rd - 9:08 am
ICYMI: Filmmaker Steve Cowan joined me on CapTon last night prior to the screening of his documentary, “Pricele$$”, about the absolute power of money in national politics, and expressed confidence that Americans are finally sufficiently fed up to demand reform.
It would be extremely helpful, Cowan said, if New York would take a leadership position in this fight.
The Assembly Democrats have proposed a bill to establish a public campaign finance system, but so far, the Senate GOP isn’t interested and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while in favor of the concept of taxpayer-funded campaigns, hasn’t put any muscle behind the measure.
“I think change is coming, and I don’t know when it’s coming for the state of New York,” Cowan told me. “But I think all eyes are actually on New York.”
“The whole national movement to mandate this kind of reform…if New York got into a position to really lead on this, I think it would help change in Washington, D.C.”
“Other states have done it already: Airzona, Maine, Connecticut. But New York is the Big Apple, so to speak.”
Cowan’s visit to the Capital Region from his home state of Oregon just so happened to fall on a day when Cuomo decried the power of money at the Capitol, calling it “unbelievable,” just hours before he headed to Buffalo for a $5,000-a-head fundraiser to benefit his 2014 re-election campaign.
The Buffalo News’ Bob McCarthy reported this morning that Cuomo’s take from the event was about $450,000, making it one of the most successful political fundraisers in WNY history.
That sum, according to McCarthy, is thought to be the most ever earned locally for a gubernatorial campaign.
On April 25, Cuomo, who made public campaign finance part of his 2010 campaign reform agenda and highlighted it in his 2012 State of the State address, had this to say on whether action might be taken this year:
“Campaign finance, which is going to be difficult to get an agreement, I think if you listen to the two sides of the issue on this, you’ll get a sense right away of the gap.”
The Senate Democrats held a press conference this week to declare their collective support for campaign finance reform, and insisted the popular governor could convince their Republican colleagues to move on this if he really wanted to.
Cuomo had just over $14 million on hand as of Jan. 15. He’s expected to have far more than that when the next filing is made public in mid-July.
Before Fundraiser, Cuomo Decries Money In Politics
May 2nd - 12:00 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a radio interview decried the clout that comes with money in Albany and blasted so-called “Super PACs” that can raise unlimited amounts of money.
Cuomo has said that he wants to overhaul the state’s campaign finance laws by closing loopholes, lowering contribution limits and instituting a public financing system similar to what’s in effect for New York City.
And in an interview on Susan Arbertter’s Capitol Pressroom, the Democratic governor said the issue was complicated by Supreme Court rulings that allow for even bigger campaign loopholes.
“The power of money in the Capitol is unbelievable,” he said, while also complaining that special interest groups have evolved sophisticated messaging shops over the years.
He also blasted political action committees that, without the coordination of a candidate, can raise and spend unlimited funds without public scrutiny of donors.
“Now you can be a candidate who has new, lower campaign limits, but the opponents have unregulated money in a Super PAC,” Cuomo said.
The governor has benefitted from the current campaign finance laws in New York, amassing a $14 million campaign war chest for his re-election bid that doesn’t come until 2014. He will attend a fundraiser in Erie County
And Cuomo has benefitted from the help of the Committee to Save New York — a coalition of real estate and business interests that has been compared to a Super PAC on the state level (though the comparisons are little off, considering CSNY registered, after some prodding, as a lobbying organization).
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Sivler has introduced a bill that would create a public financing system mirrored after New York City’s campaign finance laws (Democrats in the Senate yesterday touted a bill that would perform the same function).
The stumbling block on a public-financing plan is with the Senate Republicans, who have said that spending money on a public financing system is untenable in a difficult economy and that the money is better spent on education.
Baldwin: Cuomo Is Reaganing
May 2nd - 10:50 am
Actor, political activist and Wegmans enthusiast Alec Baldwin says he’s not running for mayor of New York City.
But last night on MSNBC’s “Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell, Baldwin said Gov. Andrew Cuomo “essentially walks on water” because of his accomplishments.
Discussion of the governor came up in the context of O’Donnell asking Baldwin whether he would be interested in running for office in New York, comparing him to Al Franken, the SNL writer and actor who run is now a U.S. senator from Minnesota.
(To be clear, Baldwin isn’t comparing him to Ronald Reagan politically. For non-watchers of “30 Rock” who may be confused by the headline please consult this YouTube clip.)
“Here in New York you have safe Democratic seats across the board statewide,” Baldwin said. “You have a Democratic governor who essentially walks on water as far as a lot of people are concerned. He’s cajoling and carolling that horrible statehouse in Albany. I do admire what Cuomo’s done in dealing with Albany.”
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Adams Disputes P-S Story, Transparency Questions
May 1st - 12:57 pm
As Liz noted earlier, The Post-Standard’s look into 30 companies seeking recertified tax credits from the Empire Zone program is getting some reaction from state lawmakers, including Sen. Liz Krueger in letter sent this week to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Among the issues, the P-S story and later an editorial notes the lack of transparency about the process, a criticism that reverberates for the Cuomo administration.
Now Ken Adams, the head of the Empire State Development Corp., dispuites the paper’s assertions in a letter to the editor that also appears to serve as his official comment on the issue.
In letter being sent today, Adams claims the process for the tax credits has been conducted in public and advertised.
Adams also says the process of recertifying the companies has been a “thorough, deliberative, and open process.”
Contrary to the inaccurate representations made by the Syracuse Post Standard in its recent news story and editorial on Empire Zones, over the past three weeks there have been three meetings of the Empire Zones Development Board, each of which has been completely open to the public. The meetings were all publicly advertised a week in advance, broadcast live, and archived for viewing at a later time. In fact, much of the information being reported was taken directly from statements made by state officials during the course of these open meetings where members of the board identified themselves by name for public knowledge.
As has been noted at these public meetings, of the 545 businesses de-certified in 2009 for failing to meet the requirements of the Empire Zone program, fewer than 10 percent brought suit to challenge their de-certifications. Following a court supervised process, this panel is reviewing these companies applications in a thorough, deliberative, and open process. This process is ongoing and far from complete and companies can only be allowed back in the program by a unanimous vote of the board.
Krueger Pressures Cuomo On Empire Zones
May 1st - 12:24 pm
Sen. Liz Krueger sent Gov. Andrew Cuomo a letter yesterday expressing “serious concerns” regarding a Syracuse Post-Stanard report that the administration is planning to restore Empire Zone tax credits to a number of accounting, law and real estate firms that had their benefits stripped in 2009 by then-Gov. David Paterson.
The administration is being unusually secretive about this effort. Post-Standard reporter Michelle Breidenbach wrote the following in Sunday’s paper:
“In one week, the state revived a defunct Empire Zone board, appointed new members and held more than eight hours of meetings. It is expected to vote as early as this week on whether to restore the tax breaks.”
“The Cuomo administration is not answering any questions about it. Ken Adams, president and CEO of Empire State Development, would not be interviewed. The agency’s press officers refused to return phone calls. Staff insisted instead on written questions that no one answered.”
The morning, the Post-Standard’s editorial board deemed the plan to revive Empire Zone benefits for companies removed from the program because they skirted the spirit, if not the letter, of the law “an outrage,” adding:
“No one is talking. Not Cuomo. Not the head of Empire State Development, which manages the EZ program. Breidenbach couldn’t even get a complete list of board members.”
“As attorney general, Cuomo defended the state when this newspaper sued to get access to records of the Empire Zone program. If he still wants to defend the program, he should do so openly and honestly. Secrecy stinks like last week’s fish.”
Paterson and the Legislature allowed the troubled Empire Zones program to lapse in 2010 after years of failed attempts to reform it, replacing it with the Excelsior program. But many of the 8,000-plus companies that qualified for benefits while the program was a going concern – at a cost of some $600 million a year to New York taxpayers – will continue to receive them.
In her letter, Krueger notes many companies took advantage of the EZ program through an approach known as “shirt-changing,” in which a existing businesses reincorporated to give the appearance that they were creating new jobs. She also pointed out that she’s sponsoring a bill that would strengthen so-called “clawback” provisions for companies that fail to produce the jobs they promised in order to receive tax breaks.
The Senate Democrats have been pressuring Cuomo on a number of fronts since he let them down on redistricting, including fracking, minimum wage, campaign finance reform and now this. The approach isn’t likely to help the Democrats mend their relationship with the governor any time soon, but perhaps they think it’s too far gone at this point anyway.
Cuomo Appoints Education Commission With Broad Purview
Apr 30th - 2:26 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo today appointed a commission that he’s tasking with putting together an “action plan” for overhauling the state’s pricey education system.
The panel is composed of advocates, business leaders and union members.
Cuomo said he wanted a plan that could be converted into legislation and passed.
“I don’t want a plan that just sits on a shelf,” Cuomo said.
But commission members, led by former Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons, at a news conference earlier this morning did not provide any concrete areas of where they would like to see improvements.
Parsons, responding to a general question asked by Karen DeWitt of Public Radio if there were any areas of needed improvement in the education system, noted the commission was just getting underway.
Later, Cuomo echoed that sentiment, deflecting specific questions, such as whether the commission will look at charter school spending, tax credits for private schools and standardized tests.
“They have an open-ended agenda,” Cuomo said. “They can look at anything that is necessary.”
The governor did note that the commission won’t be dealing with the question of disclosing teacher evaluations, an increasingly contentious issue for the state’s teachers unions.
Cuomo said he wants the disclosure issue resolved by the end of the legislative session, which concludes June 21.
“The commission is operating on a different time frame,” Cuomo said. “I would hope to have some answer to the disclosure of teacher evaluations sometime by the end of session.”
But generally speaking, should the commission look at the evaluation issue?
“I think this commission should really look at an evaluation as a tool and how you can improve upon it,” Cuomo responded.
A news release sent out after the press conference gave more specifics, saying that the commission would address school spending and performance, efficiency in spending and the wealth divide between districts, along with how best to use teacher evaluations.
Next to health care, New York spends the most of its money on education, a fact that Cuomo frequently notes alongside with the low test scores for standardized tests and 73 percent graduation rate. The governor sought to get a handle on local school spending by pushing through a tax cap for municipalities and school districts.
The cap is in its first year in use for school districts.
Cuomo Says NYRA Report ‘Shocking’
Apr 30th - 1:44 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling the report from the state Racing and Wagering Board that found NYRA withheld $8.7 million in gambling winnings to bettors “shocking” but called for a further inquiry from the state inspector general’s office.
“It was shocking to me,” Cuomo said during the off-topic portion of his Red Room news conference today. “If the facts are correct, it’s very troubling to say the least. It’s been referred to the inspector general and we’ll await the report.”
Read the report, first obtained by The NYT, here.
Asked if he felt Charlie Hayward, who, as the preliminary report found, worked actively to not disclose that the money had been withheld, should remain in charge of the association, Cuomo demurred, but didn’t provide much of a vote of confidence.
“Let’s get the facts first,” Cuomo said. “But if the facts are correct, it’s a problem.”
GOP Statement On TZB Shows Suburban Strategy
Apr 27th - 5:39 pm
In a rare statement critical of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Republican Party blasted him (along their other usual Democratic targets) over yesterday’s news that the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project was passed over in a first round of federal funding.
It’s unusual criticism, considering that the Republican organization has stayed away from knocking a governor who has sky-high approval ratings. Chairman Ed Cox has frequently resorted to vanilla-tinged tut-tutting over Cuomo “wearing Republican clothes” and making sure he wears them right.
In the statement, Republicans call the governor “woefully inert.”
County Executives Astorino and Vanderhoef have implored the Governor to include mass transit into any new Tappan Zee Bridge as a way to ensure that the bridge is not obsolete on day one and protects the environment going forward. Governor Cuomo, who has acknowledged the importance of a new bridge, has been conspicuously silent and woefully inert.
The cause of rebuilding New York’s infrastructure will only succeed if it has a champion, and New York’s two U.S. Senators and Governor are the only elected officials with the political capital to get the job done. Today’s news makes clear that they have neither the will nor the ability.
The Cuomo administration responded to the news by noting this funding was for a relatively small amount of money and New York was approved for the second round for federal loans, which is much larger.
But what’s key to understanding why the GOP is pushing this statement — which was not attributed to anyone specifically — is that it’s a major suburban issue for anyone who lives or has loved ones in the Hudson Valley.
As Bruce Gyory, a political consultant, adjunct professor and frequent Capital Tonight guest attested in a Newsday op/ed, the Hudson Valley is the latest “bellwether” in New York.
Gyory notes:
It has certainly made the difference in competitive contests. In the tight state comptroller’s races in 2002 and 2010, it was crucial for Democrats Alan Hevesi and Thomas DiNapoli to shave the leads of Republicans John Faso and Harry Wilson in this region, on the road to their narrow victories. The region forms an electoral crossroads between upstate and the suburbs of New York, given that in recent decades, 70 percent of the gubernatorial vote has come from outside New York City. Consequently, when this lower Hudson Region shifts its votes sharply to one party’s candidate, that party almost always carries the state.
I noted last year that Cuomo, who lives in Westchester County, had been making a major play for suburban voters with the property tax cap, one of his signature issues.
The bridge is also a major issue for a possible gubernatorial candidate-in-waiting, Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, who is mentioned prominently in the GOP statement today.
Astorino, who would certainly face questions over his stance on social issues and trail Cuomo in campaign cash, is perhaps the most prominent Republican on the New York bench right now whose last name isn’t Pataki or Giuliani.
Cuomo Skips DRC
Apr 27th - 1:00 pm
Our intrepid anchor and super blogger Liz B. and jack-of-all-trades producer Mike Whittemore are heading out to Corning to cover the Rural Democratic Conference, an annual confab of upstate party members.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has deep political ties to the group, won’t be there, however. 
His office confirmed this afternoon that the governor would be skipping the event, even though he appears on the DRC’s official schedule of events today alongside other elected officials. The official public schedule puts Cuomo in New York City today.
The DRC event last year — held in Schenectday — was something of a homecoming for Cuomo, who had netted the support from the organization during his faild 2002 run for governor.
Among the swag last year was Cuomo 2014 paraphenalia, making it the unofficial official start of his re-election campaign.
H/t a tweet from Gannett for catching this first.
TZB Passed Over In First Round, Cuomo Admin Shrugs
Apr 26th - 3:16 pm
The project to build a replacement for the aging Tappan Zee Bridge did not win the first round of federal funding today, a move that was downplayed by the Cuomo administration earlier today.
The state, administration officials noted, will be up for a larger piece of federal pie in the second round, which was reserved for more high-profile, large-scale projects.
The funding is being sought from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, which provides low-interest loans over 35 years.
But State Operations Director Howard Glaser noted the first round was for “much smaller programs” and that New York was put on the short list for a $2 billion infusion of federal dollars.
“It was actually very good news for us today,” Glaser said at a cabinet meeting. “They advised us that the Tappan Zee Bridge would be among the six large scale projects that would be considered the country.”
The funding doled today amounted to $100 million, Glaser said.
“It’s good news for us to stay in the game. The second round is just preliminary, much smaller programs,” he added.
Thomas Madison, the executive director of the state Thruway Authority, had a similar outlook in a statement: “We are very pleased that the Tappan Zee has been placed on a short list of six projects that will undergo an expedited review process for funds immediately after federal transportation reauthorization. We understand that in light of current financing constraints, the USDOT has prioritized smaller projects that are further along in development and required immediate financing in this first round.”
But Westchester officials and transportation advocates aren’t so pleased.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign used the news as an opportunity to again call for bus rapid transit component of the project’s designs.
“The news means that the financing for the Tappan Zee Bridge is even murkier than before. It also provides a great opportunity for the state to improve the project by including bus rapid transit. With bus rapid transit, the Tappan Zee Bridge project will be better for the environment, create more jobs, and be better positioned for future federal loans.”
And Joe Carvin, a Republican running in a redrawn northern Westchester district, was similarly miffed.
“Our federal representatives are supposed to fight for us in Washington, but they have completely dropped the ball when it comes to the Tappan Zee Bridge,” Carvin said in a statement. “How these representatives have allowed the Tappan Zee to fall into such terrible and dangerous disrepair, over a period of decades, is one of the great questions of our time.”
The Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project, a $5.2 billion plan that would replace the aging Hudson River crossing, has been a major priority for the Cuomo administration. After he was elected governor, Cuomo took a trip the Tappan Zee Bridge to inspect it.
Those large-scale high profile projects would
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