I don’t like everything that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has done and don’t agree with every policy.
I take strongest objection to his view of public education and local governments and his record on addressing government corruption, campaign finance and easing access to the ballot box have been less than ideal.
But the other 90 percent of his policies and more significantly his actions have been spot-on in terms of keeping New York a beacon for progressive policies.
These include taking such a strong stance on health care for all, women’s reproductive rights, marriage equality, gun violence prevention, climate action, clean renewable energy, living wage, parental leave, early childhood education, sustainable economic development, immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and protecting elections from outside interference. And on so many of these and more, he has been bold in protecting New York from the constant assault of the Trump Administration on our environment (oil and gas drilling off our shores), reducing the deductibility of our state and local taxes.
He has been successful in organizing other states, to maximize impact.
You only have to look around to see billions and billions of dollars of infrastructure improvements that should not be taken for granted – the new Tappan Zee Bridge, the improvements to the Long Island railroad.
He has used innovative programs to incentivize communities and localities to devise innovative clean-energy and economic development solutions. Even the 750 miles of mixed-use greenways that will extend east to west and north to south are something to be applauded.
Is he perfect? Is he a purist progressive? No.
But he most definitely is a pragmatic progressive who gets things done rather than grumble. The fact is that he has found the narrow path through New York’s considerable conservative obstruction.
Cynthia Nixon, the “Sex and the City” actor who has been an activist on education and mass transportation and in general, the issues that matter to downstate urbanites but zero experience in actual governance, thinks she can just jump into the Governor’s Mansion and fill in those gaps in terms of progressive change.
It is so easy to complain – about the subway delays (Cuomo finally finished the 2nd Avenue subway and the extension of the 7th Avenue line and is rebuilding what was damaged because of Sandy).
It is quite another to put into place a plan to accomplish any significant change.
There is barely any daylight, for example, in her proposal to fund improvements to the subways (congestion pricing, a millionaire’s tax) and Cuomo who also supports congestion pricing, if not the millionaire’s tax (isn’t there already a surcharge?).
Nixon blames Cuomo for the very existence of the renegade Democrats who aligned with Republicans in order to keep control of the State Senate in their hands? I’m not clear what he was supposed to do.
Wasn’t that the decision of their constituents who voted for them, even re-elected them? Cuomo is often criticized as acting as an authoritarian, but this proves otherwise. In actuality, you have to appreciate how Cuomo has been able to get things done – the SAFE Act and marriage equality as two of the best examples.
I don’t want an autocrat. And I don’t want a progressive purist who can complain about the way things should be but with absolutely no skill or experience in getting it done.
More significantly, even if Cynthia Nixon, whose policies are specifically formulated for New York City and nowhere else in the state, even if she did manage to win the Democratic nomination as the ultra-progressive, she could be beaten by whoever the Republicans put up and that would be disastrous for New Yorkers.
Cuomo, who has really brought important development upstate as well as down, deserves to be the Democratic nominee and hopefully is reelected to a third term as governor. And Kathy Hochul is the hardest working lieutenant governor there ever was.
She has been incredible.
For attorney general, the Democrats have an embarrassment of riches – all the candidates are substantial.
But I will support New York City Public Advocate Letitia (Tish) James (80 percent of the delegates to the May 2018 New York Democratic convention supported her, along with Emily’s List) over challengers: I very much like Leecia Eve, who served as counsel to Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton when they were in the Senate, and as deputy secretary for economic development for Cuomo.
Zephyr Teachout, who is allied with Cynthia Nixon, is smart but too militant, trying too hard to prove her independent bona fides (like Bernie Sanders) and be a disruptor; I would have concerns about her priorities.
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney who is simultaneously running for reelection to Congress better serves New Yorkers by standing up for us in Congress.
Vote in the Sept. 13 primary (it’s Thursday because of Rosh Hashanah on Tuesday). Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
