Meanwhile, Back in Albany (v38)

Nathanial Brooks/NY Times

 It's hard to believe that I haven't done an   'official' Albany-centric post in over a year,   but it's true. The last one was in January     2020, centered on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's   State of the State (SOTS). 

 I ignored him the rest of last year, as he   spent a lot of time looking like he was   preparing to run for president in 2024 via his daily televised   - and, eventually, daily nationally televised COVID-19 briefings, wrote a book about leadership in the time of COVID, and made some fun guest appearances on his brother's CNN show. And, of course, I was a little distracted with the 45th president - no shock there for regular readers.

It's time to turn my attention to the Sonofa Gov and his plans for our future. Cuomo, recognizing that "these are no ordinary times, and our plan is more complex and detailed," took four days to get the SOTS all rolled out.

Here's a recap of his Day One overview, which introduced this year's theme: Reimagine. Rebuild. Renew. And it introduced his seven-point plan.

• First, we must defeat COVID and beat back the assault as the virus rages in these next few months. It will not be easy.  A high-performing hospital system as well as the diligence of New Yorkers are the keys to stop the spread.
• Second, the vaccine will end the COVID crisis. We must vaccinate 70 to 90 percent of our 20 million New Yorkers and we must do it quickly, safely and fairly. We must also learn the glaring and costly lessons of America's failed public health system so we are better prepared for the next time, and as we all now should realize — there will be a next time. 
• Third, we must deal with the short-term economic crisis: a record $15 billion state deficit that must be addressed in the next several weeks. 
• Fourth, we must plan our economic resurgence. We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass. The cost is too high. We will have nothing left to open. We must reopen the economy, but we must do it smartly and safely.  Also, we must energize our lagging private-sector and rebuild our economic platform, our transportation system, our infrastructure system for the next generation of growth.
• Fifth, we must seize the opportunity to make New York the global leader in the long overdue, economic shift to green energy. That is the smart thing to do. That is the right thing to do and it will create thousands of good, secure jobs. 
• Sixth, we must be the first to anticipate how COVID will transform our society and economy and we must capitalize on those coming changes. 
• Seventh, we must address the systemic injustices exposed during this year's low-tide in America: the inequity, the racism and the social abuse. And my friends, if that wasn't ambitious enough, all of these plans must move forward simultaneously. It will be hard. It will be the greatest test for government since we mobilized to fight World War II. It will be the greatest opportunity for advancement since post-World World II. 

What does all of that mean? Saying "If we tire before the enemy tires, we lose the war," Cuomo says we must remain engaged in the fight against the pandemic, and we have to act fast on vaccines. And, we have to get them into our "predominantly Black, Latino, Asian, and poor communities," to bring "social and racial justice" to the vaccination process.

There'll be a Medical Supplies Act, to incentivize NY companies to produce PPE and whatnot, and NY will shop within the state first. Hopefully this will reduce out reliance foreign purchases.

He's going to expand telehealth to ensure accessibility for all, and create a new NYS Public Health Corps, which'll train folks to help their fellow New Yorkers with the vaccination effort, and lead to the establishment of a "best-in-the-nation emergency response capacity" for the future. The training program, which will be free, hopefully will certify 100,000 volunteers. 

Now, the hard part. NY has a $15B deficit, which the Sonofa Gov blames on the feds. The election of Joe Biden,, and the House and Senate majorities, should help.

...today is a new day in America after a long dark night and the new federal government has no credible argument against the fact that New York's damage from COVID is clearly, legally and ethically Washington's liability.

The feds allowed "COVID to ambush New York last spring," by focusing on China and ignoring the threat from 3,000,000 European travelers coming here, virus in tow, and by failing to test European travelers, which 120 other countries were doing. Bottom line?  "New Yorkers cannot now be asked to pay the financial bill for federal incompetence. New Yorkers already paid too high a cost." 

This is a national challenge. It is a war and like every war before, it must be financed by Washington. If the federal government needs revenue, it should raise income taxes on the wealthy to finance the state's resurgence from this national devastation. That is basic economic justice and economic prudence. Look what has happened in America, the rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer and the middle class has gotten smaller. Washington should not force any state to bear the cost alone - especially New York State.

He also complained (again) about the SALT limitation in the Trump tax plan, saying he expects to get "the SALT out of our wound," noted that NY subsidizes 42 other states, that we pay much more than we get back, and  he's had enough.

For out part, we're going legalize  and tax the living daylights out of) adult-use recreational pot, and allow mobile sports betting. Not sure there are any other revenue opportunities in the 'sin' field. Prostitution, perhaps?

Infrastructure (air, road and rail); affordable housing, and "more economic development to create jobs, jobs and more jobs" are also in the plans. Also, full broadband access (we're at 98% coverage now), with low monthly cost to low-income families. We're going big in renewables (becoming the "green energy capital of the world"), with efforts on construction, manufacturing, R & D, and worker training.

What else? Public safety, housing, rent and mortgage relief and more, including ensuring "all immigrants are protected and have legal counsel" - including undocumented immigrants. And election reform, or at least mandates that we do elections better. And we'll do better with the growing homeless situation. And and and and...

I'll have info from the other three days coming up.