NEW YORK—Andrew Cuomo listed his accomplishments as governor during his second State of the State address on Wednesday at the Empire State Convention Center in Albany.
This time last year, newly-elected Cuomo faced a $10 billion deficit, now reduced to $2 billion. He halted annual property tax increases that rose at what he calls an unsustainable rate of 6–8 percent. He eliminated 3,800 prison beds, enacted the toughest rent regulation laws in 20 years, eliminated the MTA payroll tax, passed the budget on time, and says he proved Albany is no longer dysfunctional.
Of course, not everyone views all of these accomplishments as successes. For example, transportation advocates decried his cut to the MTA payroll tax last month. Although it saves small businesses money, they say the tax is needed to keep transit going and the deteriorating system will hurt business in the long run.
Among his other detractors were a group of protesters outside the room calling on the governor to ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Cuomo did not mention in his address the controversial method of obtaining natural gas from shale, which could move ahead early this year following a public comment period.
“We disregarded political extremists” on both ends of the spectrum, said Cuomo. “By the end of the year, I really believe we put our politics aside. … We were New Yorkers first and we acted that way.”
He often found himself between business interests and activist outcries in his first year as governor.
Fracking opponents criticized Cuomo for not banning the practice outright, saying he put business interests first. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer commended the governor, however, for holding so many public hearings and repeatedly extending the public comment period on the subject, saying it shows the value he places on voter opinion.
Occupy Wall Street activists labeled Cuomo as being for the “1 percent” when he stood against renewing the millionaire’s tax. Cuomo supported it at the federal level, but opposed it at the state level, saying the wealthy would simply move to a lower-tax state. He budged, however, when he renewed the tax last month, albeit with some adjustments.
Gov.’s Plan for 2012
The governor plans to close tax loopholes by appointing a tax reform and fairness commission. He will also appoint a bipartisan education commission to come up with a blue print, emphasizing that this blue print must be completed “this year!”
The governor said that the teacher evaluation system is particularly lacking, though he did not elaborate on what might replace it. New York spends more on education than any other state, said Cuomo, though it ranks 38th in graduation rate.
Developing infrastructure and building convention centers
The governor continued with other dismal stats: 32 percent of New York’s bridges are rated deficient, 40 percent of roads are fair or poor, and 83 percent of dams are in disrepair. Cuomo promises to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge, repair 2,000 miles of roads, 100 bridges, create 114 flood control projects, and invest in parks.
Cuomo plans to attract $2 billion in private investments to expand New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center he said, plus another $4 billion on other convention center construction. He said these centers are economic centers and New York has fallen far behind other states in this regard.
City Council members discussed the need for another convention center in New York City last year, with their eye on the Willets Point development as a possible location.
Cuomo will join together several agencies, including the MTA, the Port Authority, and the Department of Transportation to work more closely on capital development projects. He noted that as it is, these agencies work according to their own agendas.
Legalizing Gambling
Cuomo called for the legalization of casino gambling in the state.
“We are living in a state of denial,” said Cuomo. He said it is not a question of having gaming or not.
“We have gaming. … We have tribal casinos all across the state, we have racinos all across the state. … We don’t recognize it, we don’t regulate it, [and] we don’t capitalize on it.”
The state has 29,000 electronic gambling machines—more than Atlanta. New York is surrounded by gambling on every border. Massachusetts just legalized it. People will just take their money to surrounding states, says Cuomo.
