On the new governor”™s long list of accomplishments: Aide to former Gov. Mario Cuomo at a salary of $1 a year; secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Clinton; and most recently, attorney general for the state. Andrew Cuomo will now be under the microscope to see if he makes good on his promises outlined in his New NY Agenda: A Plan for Action.
Assuring voters he was both “honored and humbled” to become governor on his website”™s YouTube video after the election, Cuomo promised he would “not betray your trust … and understands your pain.” He promised to take back Albany from special interest groups and make the state capital transparent ”“ and promised not to raise taxes to close the $10 million deficit.
In his first State of the State address Jan. 5, a high-spirited Cuomo outlined his plans for consolidating state government, reducing taxes and making New York a business-friendly state. “It now ranks as No. 50 when it comes to being business friendly.” He proposed creating a pool of regional entities that would compete for dollars for economic development. “Competition spurs creativity. Those who are most creative will get more money.”
Cuomo also addressed Medicaid ”“ “a program I have firsthand knowledge of from my four years as attorney general””“ which at a cost of $1 billion a week, unsustainable. The new governor appointed a commission to tame Medicaid and will use a program similar to one used in Wisconsin. A commission, structured after the Berger Commission, began working on fixing Medicaid Jan. 7 and will give its final recommendations in April. “The Legislature will have 30 days on which to act. If it doesn”™t, they will automatically become law,” said Cuomo, who also announced the creation of another commission to give counties relief from unfunded state mandates.
There are dozens of opinions about Cuomo”™s multifaceted solutions to the state”™s fiscal crisis; one came from Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus. “We”™re pleased the governor announced one of his priorities will be a property tax cap in 2011 and he recognizes New York”™s property taxes are nearly 80 percent above the national average. However, property tax cap legislation simply will not work without rolling back state mandated programs.”
Admitting it is no easy task to correct decades of government overspending and that “special interests are not going to give up without a fight,” Cuomo said the real power of the governor is to “galvanize the people ”“ only you can hold your legislator accountable.”
His agenda is lengthy; all 258 pages culled from handpicked advisers and from the new governor himself. In it, Cuomo pledges in part, to:
Clean up Albany: To restore honor and integrity to government with tough new ethics standards, expand disclosure requirements, install independent investigators to root out and punish corruption; remove legislative redistricting from partisan elected politicians and create an independent commission to make the decisions; and hold a constitutional convention.
Get fiscal house in order: Immediately impose cap on state spending and freeze salaries of state public employees as part of one-year emergency fiscal plan; no increase in personal or corporate income taxes, sales taxes and pledges to impose a local property tax cap and eliminate mandates imposed on school districts and localities.
“Rightsize” government: Deeming too big, ineffective and expensive, Cuomo says he will “enlist the best minds in private sector” to overhaul more than 1,000 state agencies, authorities and commissions to reduce by 20 percent.
NY Works: Get unemployed New Yorkers back to work by giving businesses a tax credit of up to $3,000 for each unemployed New Yorker hired for a new job.
NY Leads: To remain the national leader in protecting and advancing individual rights, adopts pro-choice platform and champions marriage equality; pledges to enact tough anti-discrimination laws and to uphold opposition to death penalty; truly regulate Wall Street by attracting the best and brightest to government, continue to oppose the death penalty; pledges to leave a greener, cleaner world.
