WSKG (https://wskg.org/tag/cuomo/)
Listen Live - WSKG Listen Live - WSKG Classical
“I don’t care what any bureaucrat says,” said Cuomo. “If they don’t have a good plan for reopening, no kids are going to come and no teaches are going to come.”
“If you have the virus under control, reopen. If you don’t have the virus under control, then you can’t reopen,”
New York, fearing the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, has decided to pull an item from this year’s ballot to decide if the state should borrow $3 billion to fund a series of environmental projects related to climate change.
The governor says the state faces a $14 billion deficit in the current fiscal year, and $16 billion next year, and without federal funds, he’ll have to slash schools, hospitals and local government aid by 20%.
People traveling to New York from more than two-thirds of the country will now have to quarantine for at least two weeks upon entering the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday, after infection rates in three more states exceeded New York’s threshold.
“Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul are federal ‘bag men,’ to use a different expression. They’ve been taking New Yorkers’ money for years, putting it in a bag in Washington and bringing it home to their state.”
“They had been promising, promising, promising. It’s not that I was waiting without them suggesting possibility. They have been saying we’re going to do it. Then they didn’t.”
“Democrats are not providing any oversight of the governor’s decisions throughout this pandemic. And that is a real problem that I think should concern all New Yorkers.”
People traveling to New York from nearly two-thirds of the country will now have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entering the state after Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that 10 more states would be added to that list.
“New Yorkers are outraged at these establishments, we’re getting thousands of complaints, pictures, videos. This is a question of public health.”
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state is deploying teams to check for proof that travelers getting off flights have completed forms before leaving airports across the state.
“Trump’s COVID scandal makes what Nixon did at Watergate look innocent. Nobody died in the Watergate scandal. Thousands of people are going to die in this COVID scandal.”
Regions will be allowed to reopen schools if, by the first week of August, the infection rate remains below 5% using a 14-day average.
“The federal government’s demands that schools reopen without concern for health, safety and equity are simply out of touch.”
New York will decide if schools will reopen this fall in the first week of August, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday, and tasked districts across the state with coming up with plans in the event that they’re allowed to resume in-person learning.
“As the epidemic has eased, we think the legislature should get back to work. Hold committee meetings, move bills.”
Travelers from three more states will now be required to quarantine themselves for two weeks when they enter New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
“This year we’re going to have to cancel it. That makes me personally, very unhappy, but that is where we are.”
Cuomo blames local governments, who are supposed to enforce rules at restaurants, bars, stores and other public places.
“The good news is, our house is doing very well. The bad news is the neighbor’s home is on fire.”
“If other states have a high infection rate, probability is they’re going to wind up increasing the spread in New York.”
“We will make it mandatory that they have air filtration systems that can filter out the COVID virus.”
Hospitalizations from the disease also dropped Saturday, bringing the total number of people requiring treatment for the disease down to 869.
Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York is offering help to states like Texas and Arizona that are struggling with spiking COVID-19 infections.
New York has hit another milestone in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: hospitalizations from the disease have now dipped below 1,000 for the first time in about three months, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.
“We are ready to be back in business in a safe and effective manner and we’re just hoping that we can have the opportunity to do so, so that we can feed our families.”
People traveling to New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut from states with high infection rates of the coronavirus, like Florida and Texas, will be required to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
$20 million will be available to help reopen and expand capacity for child care providers, and $45 million will be available to help pay for the cost of a newly opened classroom.
“It’s not a coincidence that this is primarily an argument put forth by Republicans. That is a factual statement.”
“It is a day that we should all reflect upon. It’s a day that is especially relevant in this moment in history.
“It’s business critical at this point. We’ve been shut down for three months and we have zero revenue, still having many of the obligations that we had before.”
“Ever since this era, our system has been trying to make up for this huge breach in public health trust. Trust is core to our ability to counter the COVID epidemic in the United States.”
The event will begin on Aug. 31 without fans because of the continued spread of the coronavirus. Australian tennis star Nicholas Kyrgios calls the move “selfish.”
“It’s about people wanting to change. Well, New York will be the place that actually makes the change and we pass laws that have done just that.”
For years, the governor says, Democrats in the state didn’t have the political or popular support to enact reforms. Now, lawmakers have passed sweeping police accountability and transparency measures.
“Young people can engage in sports. Two spectators per child. So that’s another step towards return to normalcy.”
“It’s not just turning the valve on and filling the pool. There’s a lot of behind the logistics behind the scenes that happen and people don’t understand.”
“Everybody wants to swim, I understand. Everybody doesn’t want to see a spike in COVID again, so use your judgment. Sometimes yes is not the right answer.”
Those people who “ignore Christopher Columbus’ role in giving the green light to centuries of racism and dehumanizing of Indigenous peoples must be called to task.”
“People need to have those doors opened and have their faith fulfilled and to be nourished.”
“It really is the best situation, I guess, that we can have. It’s a tough one. It’s really not what we want, but we’ll make the best of it.”
“Here in New York, we actually read the Bible. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’.”
“The No. 1 contributor to New York state sales tax are bars and restaurants, so it will help the economy, it’ll help local businesses and it’ll help (our) finances as well.”
Cuomo stopped short of saying that he would deploy the state’s National Guard to any city without a request by its political leaders.
“People lost their jobs, people wiped out their savings, and now, mass gatherings with thousands of people in close proximity? What sense does this make?”
“Last night was an ugly night all across this nation. It was an ugly night across this state.”
“None of us can fathom 20% cuts to education. Those are cuts that I don’t think we’ve ever imagined, we’ve ever seen, in recent times.”
“It would just be a disaster. It’s, it would just be awful in every area.”
The poll finds Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 66% approval rating is still among the highest during his 9 years in office.
“It doesn’t prevent the decisions. It solely requires reports. Once the reports are made, those things are subject to review.”
“We are going to have to put strict limits in terms of capacity in every church, and all sorts of restrictions.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is extending the state’s stay at home order to May 28. Some areas of the state have been given the green light to enter Phase One of reopening beginning Friday.
Beaches will be monitored for density, and will be limited to half their usual capacity. Parking will be limited and entrances will be monitored to ensure that too many people aren’t coming in.
Local officials were mixed about the state’s messaging as the Southern Tier Region reopened Friday.
Rochester, Ithaca, Binghamton, Elmira, and Utica, as well as the surrounding communities, will all be allowed to start the first phase of reopening this Friday.
“They are all feeling very ready to get back to work. Most of them are in the process of trying to develop plans to get there.”
“You’d rather have a controlled start, so that you don’t have to stop. You reopen too fast, then you have to stop.”
“We’re going to have the schools closed for the rest of the year. We’re going to continue the distance learning programs.”
“With all health care, your condition dictates the speed of care provided, and that will still be the case as we look to reschedule.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says the state is opening new drive-through coronavirus testing sites in five upstate counties.
The state’s economy could lose a staggering $243 billion, or 14% of the state’s gross domestic product, over the course of the pandemic and the economic recovery.
Overall, 78% of New York voters — including a majority of Republicans — say they trust Gov. Andrew Cuomo to decide when to reopen their state.
The governor has said he might cut funding to schools, hospitals and local governments by 20%, but he said Friday no decision has been made.
Cuomo said at their White House meeting Trump committed to procure more testing supplies from China and other overseas manufacturers. He said they agreed the Navy ship Comfort could leave New York.
Cuomo also said elective outpatient surgeries will be allowed to resume in counties that do not have a significant number of people sick with the coronavirus.
“If a situation is radically different in one part of the state than another part of the state, take that into consideration.”
“They have a constitutional obligation to fulfill the needs of students, and they have not done that.”
“Any plan to start to reopen the economy has to be based on data and testing, and we have to make sure our antibody and diagnostic testing is up to the scale we need.”
“We’re at a point where some of the upstate hospitals have significant financial burdens because they are not doing the elective surgeries.”
Cuomo has joined other states and said people in New York must wear masks in public when they can’t remain 6 feet apart, in order to protect the gains his state has made against the coronavirus.
The president claimed “total” authority, per unnamed constitutional provisions. Experts remind him he is not a king, and cite Articles I, II, III; the 10th Amendment; and the Founding Fathers.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday that 758 more New Yorkers have died from the coronavirus. It marked the sixth straight day of more than 700 deaths.
With New York facing a $10 to $15 billion dollar deficit, and a steep drop in revenue with almost all businesses closed, the governor says he has few choices.
“The bad news isn’t just bad. The bad news is actually terrible.”
731 New Yorkers died in the past day from the virus, the highest number yet, bringing the death total to 5,489.
In a press conference on Sunday, the governor stressed the importance of working together, both in-state and nationally. “Nobody can do this alone,” he said. “Nobody.”
“Erie County residents will be put at risk and possibly die because we don’t have the equipment here,”
The state had 562 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours. In a bit of “good news,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said 1,452 coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals in the past day.
“Those institutions will either get their ventilator back, or they will be reimbursed and paid for their ventilator. So they can buy a new ventilator.”
“The bail reform that we did last year I’m very proud of, and I think we made the right change now.”
“This model projects you’re going to have a high death rate through July. If this model is correct, this could go through the summer.”
“If money comes in during the course of the year, we’ll spend it. If we actually lose money, we have to adjust it. That’s life. We can’t spend what we don’t have.”
“Not moving to legalize cannabis through the budget process right now … it makes sense.”
The brother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he has experienced COVID-19 symptoms, including “fever, chills and shortness of breath.”
The state has reported more than 75,000 confirmed cases, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the peak is still to come. On Tuesday he expressed frustration that FEMA was hindering, not helping, its efforts.
The numbers are the highest since January 2013, just before Cuomo championed a strict gun control law after the Sandy Hook, Connecticut school shooting.
“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote. A lot of people touching one door knob, a lot of people touching one pen, whatever you call the new device on the ballots.”
“This is not a lockdown. It’s nothing that we haven’t been doing. Nonessential people should stay home.”
The president said New York ignored ventilators sent by the federal government. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo fired back, saying the president’s view was “incorrect and grossly uninformed.”
The number of coronavirus cases in New York is doubling every four days — a marked decrease from early on in the outbreak, when it was doubling every 2 1/2 days.
New York’s governor wants to pass the budget by April 1 and then update the state spending plan quarterly.
State health officials are still exploring whether one ventilator can serve two patients, as was done in Italy when the virus overwhelmed that country’s health care system.
“One of the forecasters said we were looking at a freight train coming across the country. We’re now looking at a bullet train.”
Cuomo is known as a “take-no-prisoners kind of guy.” He’s been getting praise even from some critics for his daily briefings and decisive actions as New York becomes the hardest hit state in the U.S.
The governor says he has absolutely “no second thoughts” about ordering a complete shut down of businesses this week.
“The federal government should order factories to manufacture masks, gowns, ventilators. The essential medical equipment that’s going to make a difference between life and death.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes what he calls “the ultimate step” in his state’s effort to stop the spread of a deadly coronavirus.
“That will be a real-life economic benefit,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. He also ordered that only 25 percent of workers could be in the office, except for essential services.
The governor, trying to tamp down rumors spreading on social media, also said he has no plans at this time to quarantine any cities in the state.
“I said to the local officials and I want to say to the people of the State of New York, if you are upset by what we have done, be upset at me.”
The governor said there have been no confirmed cases of the virus in New York so far. 27 people have been tested, and 26 of those results have been negative. One case is still pending.
Cuomo said he’ll go to California, Colorado, Illinois and Massachusetts in the coming weeks to meet with officials there and find out how they are carrying out the monitoring, sale and taxing of the drug.
“This is literally a matter of life and death, literally every day, more kids are getting addicted. One way or the other, by April 1 this has to become law.”
Cuomo says it’s likely the federal government’s decision was political “retaliation and reprisal” for New York’s law to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses.
“What the dredging does is it increases the access and capacity of creeks, inlets, et cetera. And it uses the dredging material, in this situation, to increase a barrier to keep the high water from affecting the shoreline.”
Facing a projected $6 billion budget deficit and an April 1 budget deadline, the Cuomo administration is proposing the elimination of $6.9 million in state aid for municipalities where video lottery terminals are played.
The Department of Homeland Security says the state’s “Green Light” law allowing licenses for immigrants without legal status interferes with security. State officials call it “political retaliation.”
Global Entry, part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service, allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to get expedited clearance through automatic kiosks at select airports.
The Green Light Law allows undocumented people to obtain driver’s licenses.
Several New York lawmakers called the governor’s proposal a blatant “cost shift” to local governments.
“If we want to lower our transportation emissions, we have to address getting people out of their personal vehicles or ensuring that the personal vehicles that are left become electrified more rapidly.”
Since the state pays for the cost overruns, which the Governor said run in the billions of dollars, local governments don’t have the incentive to hold the line on medical costs.
“No one should worry. Be optimistic, it’s going to work out.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo drew cheers from the audience of lawmakers, lobbyists and state judges when he outlined his proposal to create a new crime of domestic terrorism.
“The big gorilla of the session is how are they going to deal with the budget deficit, and that’s not easy.”
In the first phase of the program, a $100 million economic development fund will support a variety of projects.
Over the New Year’s holiday, New York’s Governor announced that health care providers will see a 1% drop in the reimbursements they receive for the government-funded Medicaid health care program.
A man stabbed people celebrating Hanukkah at the home of a rabbi in Rockland County, a New York City suburb, on Saturday night. The incident comes amid a surge of anti-Semitic violence in the region.
High-speed rail is one of those economic development and transportation issues that gets touted by politicians, business and transportation groups from time to time in New York.
It would outlaw the sale of some toys and other children’s products like car seats and bedding that can contain over 100 harmful and toxic substances.
The measure would make illegal the use of the plastic foam for single-use food containers by restaurants, caterers, food trucks, retail food stores, delis and grocery stores.
Under the proposal unveiled Sunday, individuals who commit “serious crimes” would be denied the ability to obtain a gun license in New York State.
Veterans in New York State who received less-than-honorable discharges that can be linked to their sexual orientation may have state veteran benefits restored, under legislation signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“For too many years, adoptees have been wrongly denied access to this information, and I am proud to sign this legislation into law and correct this inequity once and for all.”
Central New York’s emerging drone industry is taking some major steps forward, as construction of the infrastructure is complete for the unmanned traffic management drone corridor.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mostly avoided President Donald Trump, who also attended Monday’s Veterans Day parade in New York City.
“Everybody is invited, everyone should honor veterans. The more that come, the better.”
There were mixed reactions Wednesday from New York’s politicians and political parties on this year’s election results.
Governor Andrew Cuomo supports fusion voting, or allowing candidates to run on multiple party lines, even though a commission appointed by the governor could end the practice.
“This is an international entity and it is going to be a difficult case for us to make. But it is a last resort, we have tried everything else. It is a cry for help from the state of New York.”
The state is putting aside $300 million to fund resiliency projects in these communities, which have seen major flooding in recent years.
Reed said Cuomo opted for a virtual pipeline with roughly the same route but less efficient, less safe and more expensive.
“I’m honored, I’m flattered. I also believe I would win because I’m competitive and I know how to do this, but I also know that there’s a greater opportunity for me to serve more people as lieutenant governor.”
The governor’s remarks follow seemingly contradictory comments he’s reported to have made last week.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $1 billion high-tech development project on the State University of New York’s Polytechnic Institute campus near Utica.
“There has been an ongoing and pervasive culture of sexual harassment and abuse in our society, and it is made worse by the fact that victims of second- and third-degree rape only have five years to bring a legal claim against their attacker,”
“There’s no doubt that this will put us out of business. If we lose 90 to 95% of our sales, that’s just not going to pay the bills.”
Critics of the proposal say Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to strike against a left-leaning party that he’s been feuding with, something the governor denies.
Calling it an “industrywide conspiracy,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to file a lawsuit for the overprescription of opioids that he said has defrauded New Yorkers out of billions of dollars.
“This is a frightening public health phenomenon, and common sense says if you don’t know what you are smoking, don’t smoke it.”
“It clearly is a step forward. It increases accountability and decreases corruption risk.”
“The penalty should be the same as it is for other terrorism crimes — up to life without parole — because these are hate crimes on steroids.”
New York State will add relief to homeowners to a program meant to rebuild and recover from record high water levels along the Lake Ontario shoreline this year.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is asking Democratic presidential candidates to endorse four gun control measures previously adopted in New York.
The only measure approved in 2019 that is unpopular with voters is a new law to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers licenses, with only 43% overall supporting the law.
Governor Cuomo called Trump’s speech one of the “great acts of hypocrisy,” saying the president has “made racism his stock and trade” through his prior remarks and tweets.
“There’s an intelligence to being a progressive, it’s not political, you can’t do it in a tweet,”
“The Jewish community is part of our family. And part of our family has been offended. And my family is going to go to Israel to make the point that we stand in solidarity with them.”
The 2019 legislative session was among the most productive in several years, with the passage of bills that ranged from strengthening abortion rights, to allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses.
“It’s going to create a road map to 2050, and it’s going to recommend regulations, incentives and a plan to really change the whole economy.”
“I believe this is the best tenant protections they will pass,” Governor Cuomo said, “and I will sign it.”
With 11 working days left in the legislative session, the atmosphere is intensifying at the State Capitol. Democrats who lead the Legislature are facing pressure from all sides to deliver on legislation that they campaigned on.
“I guess he gets particularly animated during these stressful times, and we are coming to the end of session. Everybody has their way of coping. I prefer to keep my eye on getting the work done.”
If Cuomo is re-elected, he’ll be only the second person to win a fourth, four-year term as New York governor after Republican Nelson Rockefeller. Cuomo’s father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, lost his bid for a fourth term.
A bill that would ban trash incinerators in the Finger Lakes is now law.
“If they are starting to suggest that I need to twist arms, then that’s a bad sign. Because arm-twisting doesn’t work. And it means they don’t have the political support.”
“When you get to a point where you have flooding, by definition you have not done your job. And why they can’t release more water earlier, they’ve never answered.”
“If anyone suggests that any position I take is linked to a contributor,” Cuomo said, then they would be wrong.
Budget talks are intensifying in Albany as the deadline nears, and they are revealing tensions and divides between Democrats.
Governor Cuomo signed a new anti gun violence measure into law Monday, at a ceremony attended by survivors of gun violence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had engineered the deal, along with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. But he was criticized by some local residents, progressive groups and politicians who represent the area.
Voters are giving New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer their lowest ratings ever in the latest Siena College poll.
A report in the Washington Post says Amazon is considering pulling out of a deal to build its New York City headquarters, due to opposition from state and city elected officials who represent the Queens district where the company wants to build.
In Tuesday’s State of the State Address, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed several changes to the criminal justice system.
The New York State Legislature for the first time granted civil rights to transgender New Yorkers. And on a busy day at the State Capitol, Gov. Andrew Cuomo also released his $175 billion budget plan.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo began his third term in office with a speech at the historic site of Ellis Island Tuesday evening, where the ancestors of millions of Americans arrived as immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Governor Cuomo, in a preview of his 2019 agenda, laid out an ambitious plan to counteract actions by President Trump and his policies , including strengthening abortion rights, expanding voter access and legalizing marijuana.
“It’s like we’ve learned nothing from the failures of our drug policies over the past 40 years… If we were to invest similar money into revitalizing social infrastructure and economic infrastructure and our educational system we would see long term benefits,” said Shannon Monnat, sociology professor at Syracuse University, who specializes in public health.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he had a “positive” meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday at the White House to talk about funding for a key train tunnel connecting Manhattan to New Jersey.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Governor Andrew Cuomo now says a suspicious device was mailed to his offices in New York City, was not part of the spate of bombs or bomb like devices delivered Wednesday to the homes of former Presidents Clinton and Obama, and CNN.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his republican challenger, Marc Molinaro, engaged in a testy debate Tuesday that centered on corruption in state government and the candidate’s views, and relationships, with President Donald Trump.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Candidates for statewide office were required this week to disclose how much money they have on hand for the final month of the 2018 election season. Once again, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking a third term, is far ahead of his challengers.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday blamed upstate weather for New York’s continuing population decline, a day after his Republican challenger said Cuomo’s economic policies had failed to stanch the flow of migrants heading to other states.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – The general election for governor in New York is heating up, with the Republican candidate, Marc Molinaro, calling for the resignation of a former advisor to incumbent Andrew Cuomo, while the sitting governor rallied against President Trump.
ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – Thursday’s primaries were dominated by Democratic primaries. Many people who voted are looking ahead to the mid-term elections in November. For Elizabeth Skapley, a sophomore studying chemistry at Cornell University, she’s concerned about the national consequences of the mid-terms.
“I think it’s very important for Democrats to take back the Senate and kinda help take down Donald Trump,” said Skapley. “So, yeah. I mean, I think that just equal rights for everyone are very important, working rights are very important and it’s important for the middle class to rise up and take control.”
The primary battle between incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo and actress Cynthia Nixon had become a nasty feud, emblematic of the divergent and often warring forces within the Democratic Party.
The NRA is suing the Cuomo Administration over a decision to end the sale of liability insurance for gun owners because it’s illegal under state laws. In rural parts of New York residents have their own view.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making the rounds of national news programs now that he has become the target of a lawsuit by the National Rifle Association.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development programs have been the subject of two federal corruption trials that ended with convictions for two of Cuomo’s former associates.
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro blames the governor after the corruption convictions of a former Cuomo associate and three developers.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Governor Andrew Cuomo is not sounding sympathetic to bailing out del Lago or any other casino for that matter, just because they are not generating enough revenue.
Podcast: Play in new window
ALBANY (WSKG) – Governor Cuomo, one day after Democratic victories in elections in New York State and the nation, is calling on warring democratic factions in the State Senate to unify. Cuomo used some of his strongest language yet in urging rank and file Democrats in the State Senate to reunite with the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, saying all need to put their “egos” aside. “I’m calling for them to put their personal agendas aside and reunify, Cuomo said. “And if people have to lose a title or lose their office or lose their special license plate, I don’t really give a damn.” Cuomo has in the past touted his bipartisan deals with Republicans who rule the Senate, with the help of the breakaway Democrats. The governor did not specifically say he would help Democrats campaign against GOP Senators. But he says wins by Democrats in the county executive races in the New York City suburbs of Westchester and Nassau foretell more wins for all Democrats in 2018. The governor says he hopes he’ll be included in those victories next year.
Governor Cuomo and New York Senator Chuck Schumer are once again warning that New Yorkers will be hurt if the Republican tax overhaul plan in Congress is approved. Schumer, who is Senate Democratic Leader, says while the tax plan has changed from the original version, 71% of the deductions that now benefit state residents would be eliminated. The plan would end deductions for state and local income taxes, and cap the property tax deduction at $10,000 a year. “The plan will increase taxes on New Yorkers by $16 billion,” Schumer said in a joint conference call with Cuomo. Cuomo says the plan would undo seven years of work that his administration has done to keep taxes and spending steady in New York. “President Trump said this is a Christmas gift,” said Cuomo. “ If it’s a Christmas gift, New York gets a lump of coal from Santa Trump on this one.” Cuomo and Schumer are calling on four New York Republican House members- Claudia Tenney, John Faso, John Katko and Elise Stefanik, who have all expressed reservations about the provision, to vote against the tax plan.
ALBANY (WSKG) – Governor Cuomo joined other New York Democrats in condemning the federal tax overhaul plan in the wake of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Western New York. Cuomo, also speaking in Buffalo where the VP was attending a fundraiser for Representative Chris Collins, said a provision in the tax overhaul to eliminate deductibility for state and local taxes would deliver a “death blow” to New York. He says it would result in “double taxation” and be a windfall for other states at New York’s expense. “It’s Washington’s attempt to cut taxes in other parts of the country by using New York as a piggy bank,” said Cuomo “And that is something we cannot allow to happen.” Cuomo says the proposal hits New York hard because the state has “some of the highest property taxes” in the nation. The governor’s remarks come as the conservative group the Tax Foundation, ranked New York number two for the worst business climate in the country, behind only New Jersey.
ALBANY (WSKG) – The state’s Comptroller is siding with Governor Cuomo over concerns that federal health care cuts will damage New York’s budget, but he says the governor’s budget experts should have saved more money in rainy day funds. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says Cuomo is right to draw attention to over a billion dollars in potential health care cuts to the state, now that Congress and President Trump have postponed acting on a new federal budget. Congress failed to renew funding for the Disproportionate Share Hospital fund, which will impact public hospitals that serve the uninsured. It also did not renew the Child Health Plus program, which provides health care for around 330,000 children in the state. “I think the governor is right to sound the alarm,” said DiNapoli. “We have a tremendous amount of risk to our budget and our financial standing if action is not taken at the federal level.” Both Cuomo and DiNapoli say the state is also facing a $4 billion dollar budget gap next year. The Comptroller predicts that the state will “have to make some tough budget decisions”.
ALBANY (WSKG) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is more prominent on the national stage these days, leading some to wonder whether he is running for president. In Cuomo’s first term as governor, he made a point of never leaving the state, even taking vacations within its borders, saying the state is so beautiful that he never needed to leave it. He discouraged any talk of seeking higher office. Lately, though, that has changed. The governor has been traveling — to California for a fundraiser and to Nevada to speak before the national transport workers union, where he was introduced by its president, John Samuelson.
ALBANY (WSKG) – Governor Andrew Cuomo weighed in on the controversy over Christopher Columbus when he marched in New York City’s annual Columbus Day parade. Cuomo, who referred to the day’s celebration not as Columbus Day but as Italian- American Day, was asked by reporters about the growing movement to pull down some statues of Christopher Columbus in New York. The governor says he “rejects the negativity” behind the cause. And he says honoring Columbus and honoring indigenous peoples are not two opposing viewpoints. “It’s not an ‘either or, it’s both,” said Cuomo.
Podcast: Play in new window
The second voter survey in two weeks shows Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s job approval rating plummeting to a near record low. According to the Siena College poll, Cuomo’s job performance rating dropped to 43 percent. His overall favorability rating, at 52 percent, is down nine points from just two months ago. Last week, a poll by Quinnipiac University also found the governor’s approval rating at a near-record low. Siena spokesman Steve Greenberg said the major reason is transit troubles downstate; riders overwhelmingly blame Cuomo for the mess. “Given this ‘summer of hell,’ as he described it, and what’s going on with MTA service, mass transit, down in the New York City area,” Greenberg said.
Podcast: Play in new window
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s economic development programs have been criticized for a lack of results. He’s said they’ll bring jobs to the state, others argue that’s not happening. Joe Spector is the Albany Bureau Chief for the Gannett Papers. He and his colleagues investigated Cuomo’s economic development programs. Read the rest of the stories here, here and here. WSKG’s Gabe Altieri sat down with Spector to discuss his reporting. On whether the spending has created jobs: Joe Spector: It’s been really a tale of two states.
Podcast: Play in new window
A new online ad featuring Gov. Andrew Cuomo and promoting tolerance has once again fueled talk that New York’s governor may be planning a presidential run. There are some questions, though, about the ad and its donors. The ad, which for now is only running online, features Cuomo and several well-known actors, including Steve Buscemi and Whoopi Goldberg. All claim to be something other than they actually are to promote the message of unity and tolerance in a diverse state. “As a New Yorker, I am black,” Cuomo says in the ad. “I am white,” Goldberg says.
ALBANY (WSKG) – Governor Andrew Cuomo took a swipe at President Trump’s recent tweet saying that the federal government needs a “good” shutdown. Cuomo rarely criticizes President Trump by name, though the New York governor does frequently rail against federal Republican proposals, like repealing Obamacare. Cuomo was asked by reporters about Trump’s tweet saying that a government shut down in the fall might reap positive results. He says when he was HUD Secretary for former President Bill Clinton, he lived through two shutdowns, and he says it’s a “failure of the process”. “I think it’s the last thing this country needs now,” said Cuomo . “a shutdown would just say, ‘you’ve taken gridlock to a new level’.” The governor says he doesn’t know the details of the President’s’ planned trip to New York Thursday, the first trip back since Trump has been President, and does not know if he’s been invited to any of the events scheduled .