Politics on the Hudson

Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters Friday night that he’ll continue to push for the passage of a property-tax cap in the state Legislature when they return to session after a two-week break on Monday, indicating that it will take negotiations between Democrats and Republicans to get it done.

“We’re going to work very hard to pass it,” Cuomo said after speaking at the Democratic Rural Conference in Schenectady. “Maybe it’s not so bad the Legislature was home for the past couple of weeks because I hoped they talked to the people in their district. I’ve been all over this state and everyone says the same thing: ‘They can’t pay any more taxes.’”

Cuomo sought to dismiss the speculation that Senate Republicans—even though on Jan. 31 they passed his proposal to cap the growth in property taxes to 2 percent a year—are really against the plan because of push back from schools and local governments in their districts. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, has indicated that the GOP doesn’t want to negotiate on the bill, a signal to some that they are out to kill it.

But the Democratic governor gave Senate Republicans the benefit of the doubt, and Republicans have stressed publicly that they want it adopted into law.

“If they were not willing to negotiate, then you could say they are not proceeding in good faith,” Cuomo said, responding to reporters’ questions. “I don’t believe that’s what they’ve said. What the Senate’s position is so far, they have passed a tax cap that basically mirrors my proposal. Now we have to go through the legislative process.”

He didn’t buy the idea that a tax cap and the renewal of rent-control regulations for New York City and its suburbs need to be paired in order for a tax cap to pass the Democratic-led Assembly, which has been largely opposed to the cap but wants new rent laws.

“Is there a chance that the Assembly wants some modifications in the (tax-cap) proposal? Of course. That’s Albany, that’s the back and forth, that’s the compromise and then we’ll see what happens,” Cuomo continued.

As for another tax—gas taxes—Cuomo said calls for a gas-tax holiday around Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day, sounds great, but the question remains whether the state can afford to take the revenue hit. He didn’t rule it out, but didn’t say he was going to pursue it either.

The last time gas prices skyrocketed in 2008, Republicans did as they are now, calling for a gas-tax holiday, but it was rejected by Democrats and Democratic Gov. David Paterson.

“Look, nobody wants to pay gas tax. I don’t want pay gas tax. I want the holiday too,” Cuomo said. “The question is how much does it cost and can the state afford it? There’s a lot of things that are nice ideas and would be good to do. A lot of taxes I would like to make go away; the question is can you afford it.

“Gas-tax holiday? How about an income-tax holiday? How about a property-tax holiday?”

So what piece of his agenda—tax cap, ethics reform, same-sex marriage, rent regulations, etc.—should the Legislature first take up when the return to the Capitol on Monday, the governor was asked?

“They can determine their own schedule. As long as by the time they leave (in late June), they pass them all,” he said.

Speaking last night at the Democratic Rural Conference in Schenectady, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to improve the economy of upstate New York, saying he’s “sick and tired” of listening to the troubles of region without finding solutions.

Cuomo spoke in front of a banner that read “Rural New York is Cuomo Country” and received strong applause from the crowd of upstate Democrats. It’s been a loyal group to Cuomo: They backed him for governor in 2002 in his unsuccessful primary run against Carl McCall, and then picked him again four years later when he ran and won in a crowded primary field for state attorney general.

He acknowledged the group’s support, saying they have stuck by him in good times and bad.

The first-year governor said his administration will work on economic development and lower taxes and regulations that are an impediment to upstate’s revival.

“I’m sick and tired of hearing too much talk in upstate New York about the old days, and the companies that we had, and the businesses that we had and not enough talk about tomorrow and the future, and the businesses that are coming, and the jobs that are coming, and the opportunities that are coming,” Cuomo said in one of the first stump-type speeches he’s given since being elected and perhaps the first one to kick off Cuomo 2014.

“I’m sick and tired of seeing too many young people go to airports to get on a plane to find their future somewhere else because they don’t believe that there’s a future in upstate New York. I’m sick and tired of that, and that’s what’s going to change.”

Cuomo also played to his liberal base after drawing fire from them over his fiscally conservative budget last month that cut state aid to schools and social-service programs, saying New York should once again be the “progressive capital of the nation. That’s what New York does.”

He recommitted his support for women’s rights, environmental rights and marriage equality. Cuomo has pledged to seek making same-sex marriage legal in New York this legislative session, which ends in late-June.

“We led the way and we’re going to do it again,” he said to loud applause to the crowd of a few hundred supporters. “They are going to say New York is the progressive capital leading the way for reproductive rights, and women rights, and environmental rights and marriage equality in the state of New York. That’s what the DRC is all about and we’re going to do it together.”

Here’s some video.

The chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators is calling for an investigation into how county leaders dish out small contracts.

Democrat Ken Jenkins’ request comes just after The Journal News published an article highlighting the fact he gave a $20,000 contract to a nonprofit where his wife is a trustee.

Now Republicans are crying foul — saying his call for a probe is mostly political grandstanding and theatrics.

Read Jerry McKinstry’s full story from today’s paper here.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo today surveyed flood damage in Moriah, Essex County, and declared a state disaster emergency for the county following heavy rains and strong winds there and in other parts of the state.

The North Country town had a collapse of its Broad Street Bridge, which the governor said is the most traveled bridge in the town with an average of 6,000 vehicles a day.

“These hard-hit communities need their roads and businesses open and a return to normalcy as quickly as possible,” Cuomo said. “I have directed state agencies to provide any and all assistance and to help coordinate county-wide clean-up and repair operations.”

The disaster declaration means the state will implement its emergency management plan, which includes work by a variety of state agencies to help in the repairs.

The state Canal Corp. said today that the much of the Erie Canal will not open as planned on Sunday because of high water levels due to the snowy winter and a rainy spring.

The canal from Rochester west to Tonawanda will open as scheduled on Sunday.

From the Democrat and Chronicle:

High waters have delayed the opening of the eastern part of the Erie Canal in the area, including a stretch through Brighton, Pittsford and Fairport and parts of Rochester,

The canal from Rochester west to Tonawanda will open as scheduled Sunday.

Although the usual target date is May 1, the actual opening day for the canal system is based on weather conditions. There have been years when the canal opened as early as April 1 and as late as June 5. Brian Stratton, the new state canal corporation direction, was in the field today examining the Champlain Canal. The high water along the canal is not allowing safe placement of channel marker buoys and other aids to navigation.

And here’s Pete Seeger’s version of the Erie Canal Song, which was written in 1905 under the title “Low Bridge, Everybody Down” by Thomas S. Allen.

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, D-Binghamton, is asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include Binghamton University and the other two State University of New York university centers—the University at Albany and Stony Brook University in Suffolk County—in a planned summit on the University at Buffalo’s expansion plans. Legislation passed the Senate that would allow UB to increase tuition and form public-private partnerships to expand the school and help economic-development efforts in the city. It has been held up in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, other SUNY schools don’t want to be left out of the party (a date has not been set yet).

This is Lupardo’s letter to the governor:

Assemblywoman Lupardo Binghamton University UB2020 Summit Letter

Last year, 265 of the companies with shares and funds that the New York State Common Retirement Fund invests in spent a total of $31.9 million on lobbying, according to a new analysis by the New York Public Interest Research Group. The pension fund invests $26.86 billion—44.1 percent of its domestic and international equity—in the companies. The businesses gave legislative leaders’ campaign committees $2.6 million in 2010, nearly half of the donations the committees got directly from businesses, NYPIRG found.

Earlier this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed the state Insurance Department to issue permanent regulations banning placement agents, lobbyists and elected officials from any business having to do with the state pension fund. Provisions in the regulations will prohibit “pay to play” at the pension fund. Former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi recently began serving time in prison for his involvement in a pay-to-play scandal with the pension fund.

The use of placement agents and lobbying the comptroller on investment decisions has been banned since April 2009. Companies that lobbied since that time did so on issues other than pension-fund investments, NYPIRG said.

NYPIRG Pension Fund-1

In the special election for the 26th Congressional District seat, Republican Jane Corwin has a small 36 percent to 31 percent lead over Democrat Kathy Hochul, a Siena College poll today found.

Independent candidate Jack Davis, running on the Tea Party line, had the support of 23 percent of voters in the western New York district race.

The special election is May 24.

In a district that stretches from the Monroe County suburbs to the Erie County suburbs, voters identified “the federal budget deficit and jobs as the two most important issues they want their new Representative working on in Washington,” the poll found.

Siena pollster Steven Greenberg put it this way:

“Republican Corwin holds a narrow five-point lead over Democrat Hochul, with independent Davis garnering nearly one-quarter of the vote. In a district with a seven-point edge for Republicans among enrolled voters and years of Republican representation, Corwin’s support lags behind Republican enrollment, while Hochul’s nearly matches Democratic enrollment.”

“The two major party candidates run virtually even in Erie County, with Corwin leading the rest of the district. Corwin leads Hochul by 10 points among men; they are virtually tied with women. Corwin leads by 14 points among voters under 55, while Hochul has a slim three-point lead among those voters 55 and older. Hochul has a 20-point lead in union households, while non-union households favor Corwin by 15 points.”

The lead for Corwin was just outside the margin of error. The poll was conducted April 26-27 to 484 likely voters. It had a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

Dennis Mehiel, one of the most prominent Democratic fundraisers in the state, was recently named to serve on the board of directors of Empire State Development Corp.

The governor’s office had not announced Mehiel’s appointment, but he attended Tuesday’s meeting of the ESDC board and he will now need confirmation from the state Senate, state officials confirmed today to Gannett’s Albany Bureau.

“Dennis is a renowned businesses person whose expertise and experience will be critical to support the governor’s efforts to rebuild New York’s economy and create jobs in every region of the state,” said Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto.

It is an unpaid position, but an important one as he serves on the eight-member board that will be tasked with overseeing the state’s revamped economic development programs under Cuomo. ESDC president Kenneth Adams, former head of the state Business Council, reports to the board. There was some talk earlier this year that Mehiel was on tab for Adams’ job.

Mehiel, the wealthy founder of a corrugated shipping container company, and his wife Karen have donated nearly $890,000 to political campaigns since 2000, state campaign finance records show. A bulk of the money went to his lieutenant governor run in 2002 as the running mate to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Carl McCall.

Mehiel had lived in Armonk, Westchester County, but voter registration records appear to indicate that he now lives in Manhattan. He could not immediately be reached for comment today.

Mehiel and his wife contributed $80,862 to the governor’s campaign last year.

Mehiel is the latest leading businessman—and in some cases major Cuomo contributor—to get tapped for a position with the state. Last week, Cuomo named Kodak CEO Antonio Perez to head his SAGE Commission to restructure state government, and several of the board members have been major contributors to the governor’s campaign last year.

New York’s e-STOP law has led to the removal of more than 24,000 accounts and online profiles linked to registered sex offenders, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

Based on the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act, sex offenders have to register their email accounts, screen names and other Internet identifiers with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. That list is provided to more than two dozen social-networking companies each week, which use it to purge offenders.

Cuomo proposed the legislation when he was attorney general. The bill passed the Legislature in 2008 and was signed into law. There are mandatory Internet restrictions for all Level 3 sex offenders, offenders whose victims were younger than 18 and offenders who used the Internet to victimize a minor.

“e-STOP is one of the most effective Internet safety laws in the nation, directly responsible for keeping thousands of sex offenders off-line and away from our children,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I commend the social networking sites that have agreed to continually use our data to ensure the safety of their users.”

Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan’s Law and the Crime Victims Center, called Cuomo the “Sheriff of Cyberspace.

“As parents and lawmakers struggle to keep up with the dangers of an ever-expanding digital universe, Governor Cuomo has stepped in, passed an effective law, and kept the spotlight on Internet safety,” she said in a statement. “We applaud his successful efforts to expand provisions of Megan’s Law to the Internet.”