Politics on the Hudson

Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be effectively closing state budget gaps with few fiscal gimmicks, but he’s also proposing to expand his executive powers in how it gets done, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said today in a report.

In his review of Cuomo’s budget, DiNapoli applauds Cuomo’s ability to stabilize the state’s finances. The Democratic governor’s proposal would close a $3.5 billion deficit for the 2012-13 fiscal year without the bevy of risky moves that had previously wrecked the state’s finances, DiNapoli said.

But DiNapoli warned that Cuomo wants to shift oversight of contracts away from the Comptroller’s Office, give the governor’s office broad powers to unilaterally make spending decisions and shift billions of dollars to scandal-scarred public authorities.

DiNapoli said the proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts April 1 continues the state’s recent trend of aligning revenue with spending.

“This year’s executive budget proposal continues that trend and substantially reduces out-year deficits,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “However, this progress should not be made at the expense of transparency, appropriate checks and balances, and the realistic and necessary safeguarding of public dollars.”

DiNapoli said the budget plan does offer the state long-term financial viability, limiting future-year budget gaps.

But DiNapoli warned that the state’s fiscal condition remains tenuous, citing the state and nation’s weak economic recovery and the European debt crisis. Those factors could result in a decline in federal aid and lower-than-expected state tax revenue.

DiNapoli also said that some of Cuomo’s budget estimates, such as about $1 billion in savings from agency consolidations, isn’t clear.

In the 70-page report, DiNapoli, a Democrat, contended that the authority Cuomo is seeking would increase his hand over the budget process and how and where taxpayer dollars are spent.

The report says that the budget “includes provisions that reduce financial transparency, accountability and oversight.”

Cuomo’s budget, which would require legislative approval, would exempt many agency contracts from the comptroller’s review and approval, which is currently prescribed in state law. Contracts would be centralized within the state Office of General Services.

In another proposal, Cuomo would bypass the Comptroller’s Office review of bidding for at least five major health-related contracts. Some state agreements with Cornell University’s land grant program would be exempt from state finance law, the report said.

The budget, DiNapoli’s report said, also includes language that would give the governor the ability to shift spending among agencies with “minimal oversight or legislative input.”

Here’s the report:

2012 Review of Executive Budget

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was in her hometown Capital Region today, holding a meeting with business groups and meeting behind closed doors with the Assembly Democratic conference in the Capitol.

She spoke briefly with reporters as she headed into the conference meeting, saying she’s looking forward to her re-election bid this fall.

A Siena College poll today showed that the junior senator, who was appointed to the seat in 2009, was well ahead of potential rivals. Gillibrand, a Democrat, had a 52 percent to 20 percent favorability rating, and 53 percent of voters were prepared to re-elect her. Twenty-seven percent preferred someone else.

“I’m going to run on the ideas and the priorities that I’m fighting for for New York, specifically the economy, fighting for our middle class, less taxes for the middle class, more investment in job creation and small businesses and manufacturing,” said Gillibrand, who was elected in 2010 to the remainder of Hillary Clinton’s term.

Gillibrand remains a top target for Republicans this year, but so far no well-known GOP candidate has entered the race. And two who may have been formidable—TheLadders.com CEO Marc Cenedella and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks—said last week they won’t run against her.

Gillibrand, who had $8.1 million in her campaign account, had more than a three-to-one lead against her only announced opponent, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, Siena found.

Gillibrand, a former House member from the Albany area, said she’s shown an ability to work with Republicans, such as fighting for 9/11 responders, repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell or passing the STOCK Act last week.

“I’m going to talk a lot about how to work on a bi-partisan basis.” she said. “One of the things that’s so important is that most people around our state, they look at Washington and they believe it’s broken. So how do you bring people together on a bi-partisan basis to get things done … I’m going to talk to New Yorkers why I made it a priority to get things done and to work on a bipartisan basis.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said this afternoon that he has serious concerns about a bill to be approved today in the state Senate that would authorize the use of school buildings for religious meetings and worship.

“I think the way the Senate is taking it up is seriously flawed,” Silver told reporters briefly. “It would open up the schools to anybody. It might include the Ku Klux Klan.”

The Senate bill is in response to a New York City case in federal court that upheld the city’s right to bar religious services in public schools when school is not in session. New York City schools have told religious groups their ability to use school facilities will end Sunday.

The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Martin Golden, R-Brooklyn, and sponsored by some Democrats in the Assembly, would prevent school districts from excluding groups from meeting on “school property because of the religious content or viewpoint of their speech, including allowing religious worship services.”

Silver said, “I think it has to be done appropriately if it’s going to be done. I think the Senate bill opens it up to too many groups that should not be exposed to children.”

The bill argues that school property can be used for “social, civic and recreational meetings and entertainment” and prohibiting religious groups would be an intrusion on their First Amendment rights.

“Some school districts have excluded groups and have thereby acted to regulate free speech and the conduct of such members of the public, potentially in violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States,” the bill states. “This bill seeks to protect such organizations from these actions.”

Here’s the state Senate resolution that will be taken up tomorrow in the state Senate honoring the Super Bowl champion Giants.

The resolution also gives a pretty-good breakdown of the Giants last scoring drive.

“The exemplary performance of the members of the New York Giants football team are reflective of their dedication, determination and personal commitment,” the resolution states.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced today a new commemorative license plate in honor of the Giants.

Here’s the resolution:

Giants Resolution

Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg will discuss the results of today’s poll live at 12:30 p.m. in the Gannett Albany Bureau studio.

To watch, visit http://www.livestream.com/gannettnewyork

Or simply watch below.

The Siena College poll today offered a series of questions about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s standing with voters, posing this statement for people react to: “Governor Cuomo is trying to impose his agenda on New Yorkers, acting more like a king than a governor.”

Seventy-two percent of voters disagreed with the statement, while 23 percent agreed.

Cuomo is known for his tough approach and even coined the “I am government” moniker during a radio interview in November when he said his high poll numbers are a reflection of the public’s improved opinion of state government.

But the public is pleased with Cuomo in just about every measure. Cuomo was viewed favorably by 74 percent of voters, and he had a 61 percent job-performance rating. His popularity was similar in a Siena poll last month.

“No matter how you measure it, Cuomo is riding high with voters,” said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. “They say his fiscal proposals are on track, he’ss providing needed leadership, he’s getting the Legislature to act effectively, he’s in touch with average voters, he’s not trying to impose his agenda, and he’s not just another typical pol.”

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has gained the attention of the White House, but perhaps not in his own state, a Siena College poll today found.

A majority of New Yorkers had no opinion on Schneiderman or another statewide elected official, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the poll found.

Schneiderman, who was recently tapped by President Obama to head a panel investigating the mortgage crisis, had 21 percent to 16 percent favorability rating, but 63 percent had no opinion of the first-term Democratic attorney general. Schneiderman’s approval rating is up slightly from May, when it was 17 percent.

Sixty percent of voters had no opinion of him in January 2011, when he took office.

In today’s poll, DiNapoli had a 24 percent to 18 percent favorability rating and was unknown to 58 percent of voters. DiNapoli was elected to a full term in 2010 after he was appointed to the position in early 2007—after the resignation of disgraced Comptroller Alan Hevesi. DiNapoli’s highest approval rating was in 2010, when it was 30 percent.

Eighty percent of voters had no opinion of DiNapoli in May 2007.

Voters may think New York is headed in the right direction, but they surely don’t think state government leaders deserve a raise.

A Siena College poll this morning found that voters are overwhelmingly opposed to raises for elected and appointed state officials.

Sixty-seven percent of New Yorkers said state lawmakers do not deserve a raise; 74 percent opposed giving Gov. Andrew Cuomo a raise; and 78 percent opposed salary increases for commissioners of state agencies.

The state officials haven’t had a pay raise since 1999. State legislators get a base pay of $79,500 a year, but most receive additional stipends for leadership positions.

“While 13 years is a long time to go without a pay hike, voters across the spectrum are strongly opposed to legislators voting a pay raise to themselves or to any other state officials,” said Siena College pollster Stephen Greenberg.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, last month said lawmakers deserve a raise, but the Republican-led Senate said it was not considering the idea.

Cuomo said recently he was not having discussions about pay raises; last year, he reached contract agreement with
public-employee unions to freeze salaries for several years.

Cuomo did say that salaries for state commissioners would one day have to be addressed, suggesting it is important to attract top talent to government. Commissioners earn between $101,000 and $136,000 a year. Cuomo’s pay is $179,000.

In one of his first acts as governor in January 2011, he cut his pay and the pay of his top aides by 5 percent.

The heads of the state Senate and Assembly receive an additional $41,500 a year. Ranking members on legislative committees receive at least $9,000.

Voters were more supportive of other ideas being floated at the Capitol, the Siena poll found.

Seventy-one percent of voters said they support Cuomo’s proposal to tie a school aid to teaching performance. Sixty-nine percent said they support Cuomo’s push to create a new, less generous pension tier for new state workers.

SNY012912 Crosstabs

It wouldn’t be February without an ad knocking the proposed state budget, and CSEA didn’t disappoint, releasing the first negative ad of the budget year.

The television ad from the state’s largest public-employees union takes aim at the overall budget and doesn’t specify what its main gripes are. CSEA has said previously that it opposes a new, less generous pension tier and has warned against government consolidation that could lead to job cuts.

But the union last year reached a labor agreement with Gov. Andrew Cuomo that includes layoff protections, and a new pension tier wouldn’t affect current workers—something Cuomo regularly points out.

And the ad says the budget would “erode the middle class,” but Cuomo and lawmakers included in the budget a tax cut to the middle class.

Last year, school aid and Medicaid spending were both cut; this year both are getting 4 percent increases in spending.

Last year, the Committee To Save NY, a Cuomo-backed group, far outspent the governor’s foes, dumping nearly $10 million into ads —a move that effectively countered adds from unions and school groups.

Here’s the script and ad:

“It’s time for frank talk about the proposed New York state executive budget. The truth is what you don’t know can hurt you.
There’s no transparency or accountability. It erodes decent jobs, harms our communities and diminishes services New Yorkers rely on. The consequences are no more middle-class, public safety compromised, our most vulnerable citizens at risk – everyone’s future security diminished.
Not good for people, not good for the economy. New Yorkers deserve real answers and budget that works for all.”

Here’s the ad running during Super Bowl XLVI of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg wears an Eli Manning jersey and Menino wears a Tom Brady jersey, and while they are on opposing sides of the big game, they are both supporting tougher guns laws in cities.

The ad is an outgrowth of the Bloomberg-created Mayors Against Illegal Guns campaign. (h/t to City & State.)