Meanwhile, Back in Albany (v44): Cuomo's Goodbye

Today my Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo, leaves office. He'll be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, the first woman to ever hold New York's highest office. 

Cuomo spoke today, via a videotaped message. You can watch and read his parting thoughts on the state's website. Some highlights are below.

Hello. As you probably know I'm stepping aside as your governor. I wanted to share some thoughts with you that I've been thinking about over the past few days. 

What's been on his mind over the past few days? It hasn't really been introspection, at least not as far as his admitted behavior is concerned.

I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and, frankly, I am embarrassed. And that's not easy to say.

In fact, it was impossible to say, today. Instead, we got this.

There will be another time to talk about the truth and ethics of the recent situation involving me, but let me say now that, when government politicizes allegations and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system - and that doesn't serve women and it doesn't serve men or society.

Of course, everyone has a right to come forward and we applaud their bravery and courage in doing so, but allegations must still be scrutinized and verified whether made by a woman or a man. That is our basic justice system.

See, it wasn't about his behavior, it was about politics, and people who want what he has, or so he thinks. 

I understand that there are moments of intense political pressure and media frenzy that cause a rush to judgment. But that is not right. It's not fair or sustainable. Facts still matter.

A fire cracker can start a stampede but at one point everyone looks around and says, why are we running? The truth is ultimately always revealed. 

The Attorney General's report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic. And it worked. There was a political and media stampede. But the truth will out in time - of that I am confident. 

To his credit, he understood that trying to stay in office and fight, which is and always has been his first reaction to any criticism or accusation, no matter how big or small. 

Now there are moments in life that test our character, that ask us, are we the person we believe we are? Or are we the person we try to be at our best? You know me. I am a fighter and my instinct is to fight this because it is unfair and unjust in my mind. But you also know that I love New York and I serve you. That is the oath that I took, and in this moment I believe the right thing is that my service come first. 

After telling us what must be done to ensure the Empire State's future (police reform, and giving us back our SALT tax deduction, for example), he spoke of "what made New York State the Empire State in the first place."

New York's historic success was not a process of evolution. It didn't just happen. We weren't born this way. We were born of vision and daring and competence. We built the canals, the roads, the bridges, and education system and the economy that made us the greatest state in the nation.

Our future is ahead of us, though. 

But today is a different day. We have reason to believe in New York's future based on what we have accomplished together. We've shown potential. We've shown that the New York spirit that reached for the skies, that refused to accept defeat, that challenged possibility, that said no to the status quo, that took on the bureaucracy that still exists. And we must demand that government continue to perform and achieve and accomplish. 

Cuomo spoke about lessons he's learned during his time in office, "and the one that gives me the most hope is my belief in the essential intelligence and goodness of the people of this state." 

I said, when I started, I work for the people. I work for you. And to me, that is everything. My faith has been in the people, not the politicians and not even the political system. I know too well the flaws of the political system. I believed and still believe that New Yorkers informed with the facts when they believe the facts, when they believe they're told the truth, they will do the right thing. Even when it's hard. 

It's not easy, but it's possible. And I know it's true because you proved it. You are the u in unity and New York chooses unity over division every time. I believe that for New York, the best is yet to be, because I believe you will make it so.

In sum, we didn't get everything done that we wanted to, or even everything we should have done. And we didn't always get it quite right. But I want you to know from the bottom of my heart, that every day I worked my hardest. I gave it my all and I tried my best to deliver for you. And that is the God's honest truth.

And then he thanked us, "for the honor of serving as governor of New York," for making NY "the progressive Capitol of the nation," and then he mentioned his dad.

Thank you for vindicating E.B. White's words, often quoted by my father, God, rest his soul. When he said, "New York is to the nation what the white church spire is to the village, the visible symbol of aspiration and faith, the white plume saying the way is up." 

Thank you for the honor of serving you and never forget, always stay New York tough, smart, united, disciplined and loving. It's the essence of what makes New Yorkers so special. God bless you.

And at 11:59PM, it will be over. 

Meanwhile, Back in Albany (v43): It's Politics, Not Me, Too

The Sonofa Gov announced his resignation today, effective in 14 days. You should read his full remarks; selected excerpts (and commentary) are below.

I’d like to address several issues today. First, I’ve always started by telling New Yorkers the facts before my opinion. So, let’s start New York tough with the truth.

The attorney general did a report on complaints made against me by certain women for my conduct. The report said I sexually harassed 11 women. That was the headline people heard and saw and reacted to. The reaction was outrage. It should have been. However, it was also false...

The most serious allegations made against me had no credible factual basis in the report. And there is a difference between alleged improper conduct and concluding sexual harassment. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that there are not 11 women who I truly offended. There are. And for that I deeply, deeply apologize...

He gave a list of things that he did that were misunderstood. He was only being nice, being friendly, using endearing terms, he thought, or joking. He said "I take full responsibility for my actions."

I have been too familiar with people. My sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting. I do hug and kiss people casually, women and men. I have done it all my life. It’s who I’ve been since I can remember. In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have. No excuses.

He spoke about Trooper #1, but first, he patted himself on the back for bringing diversity to his State Police detail. 

Please let me provide some context. The governor’s trooper detail had about 65 troopers on it, but of the 65 only six women and nine Black troopers. I’m very proud of the diversity of my administration. It’s more diverse than any administration in history. And I’m very proud of the fact that I have more women in senior positions than any governor before me.

The lack of diversity on the state police detail was an ongoing disappointment for me. In many ways, the governor’s detail is the face of state government that people see. When I attend an event, people see the detail that’s with me. I was continuously trying to recruit more to diversify... 

And he addressed her allegations: 

This female trooper was getting married, and I made some jokes about the negative consequences of married life. I meant it to be humorous. She was offended, and she was right.

The trooper also said that in an elevator I touched her back and when I was walking past her in a doorway, I touched her stomach. Now I don’t recall doing it, but if she said I did it, I believe her... It was totally thoughtless in the literal sense of the word, but it was also insensitive. It was embarrassing to her, and it was disrespectful.

There was finger-pointing: 

Now, obviously, in a highly political matter like this, there are many agendas and there are many motivations at play. If anyone thought otherwise, they would be naïve, and New Yorkers are not naïve... 

Part of being New York tough is being New York smart. New York smart tells us that this situation and moment are not about the facts...  This is about politics... There is an intelligent discussion to be had on gender-based actions on generational and cultural behavioral differences on setting higher standards and finding reasonable resolutions. But the political environment is too hot and it is too reactionary for that now, and it is unfortunate.

And the 'this is bigger than me' part: 

... when I took my oath as governor... I became a fighter, but I became a fighter for you, and it is your best interests that I must serve. This situation by its current trajectory will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people... This is one of the most challenging times for government in a generation. Government really needs to function today. Government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death — government operations, and wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing. And I cannot be the cause of that.

 And there was New York Tough:

New York Tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love. And I would never want to be unhelpful in any way. And I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. And, therefore, that’s what I’ll do because I work for you, and doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you. Because as we say, “It’s not about me. It’s about we.”

 And compliments to his staff:

To my team... I want to say this: Thank you. Thank you. And be proud. We made New York state the progressive capital of the nation. No other state government accomplished more to help people. And that is what it’s all about...

Today so much of the politics is just noise, just static, and that’s why people tune it out. What matters is actually improving people’s lives, and that’s what you did. You made this state a better state for the generations that follow, and that is undeniable, inarguable, and true, even in these ugly, crazy times.

He mentioned his daughters: 

I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman or treat any woman differently than I would want them treated. And that is the God’s honest truth. Your dad made mistakes, and he apologized, and he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about.

And finally, there was the "honor of my lifetime" part to wrap things up. 

... Out of many one. Unity, community, love. That is our founding premise, and our enduring promise. And that is the salvation of this nation that it so desperately needs to hear. Thank you for the honor of serving you. It has been the honor of my lifetime. God bless you.

Apologetic? Nope - not really. More defiant than anything, blaming everyone else for what's happening to him. He's done that throughout his career, on ethics, campaign finance reform, and more. My Moreland Commission and Meanwhile Back in Albany posts are enlightening in that regard. 

Satisfactory? Nope. He's still in denial about his actions, suggesting that the goalposts had moved. But they haven't. His understanding of where those goalposts were was - and is - sorely lacking, but that's on him, not on his accusers. He was the boss, he was the one in power, and he knows it. The goalposts are exactly where they always were - and he knows it. 

Sincere? As much as he can be, I guess. But I found his comments about how much money would be spent during an impeachment to be disingenuous. "The Executive Chamber" has a $2.5M contract with a law firm, after all - and that's coming from our pockets, not his. And, of course, there's the countless hours of hand-wringing, testifying, strategizing, retaliating and who knows what else that he and his staff have been doing, instead of doing the people's work. 

And he touches only on the sexual harassment allegations - never mentions the book deal, and having his staff, ahem, "volunteer' to help on that - that's illegal, and it's impossible, since he has said his office - The Executive Chamber - is a high-pressure, long hours, late into the night shop, dealing with life-and-death stuff. Who has time to work on their boss's book under those circumstances?  

He never mentioned the nursing home stuff - that's where the $2.5M noted above is going. He's apparently using campaign funds for the sexual harassment legal team - that's legal here, sadly - even though he said he wasn't.

In the end, he's just a man, like many before him and like many - hopefully fewer, as time progresses - who will come after him. Political men, compelling when in power, much less so as their power slips away. Sitting alone, trying to pin the tail of blame on unnamed political enemies, elephants and donkeys alike, not caring who they bring down with them. 

That's really who he is, today. 

Quick Takes (v61): When Soundbites and Facts Collide

On Wednesday, Andrew Cuomo, my Sonofa Gov, exerted his princely powers and declared a 'state emergency' and released a new seven-point-plan to address gun violence. He said that "we went from COVID to the epidemic of gun violence and the fear and death that goes along with it."  And, he said,

This is a national problem, I get it. But somebody has to step up and somebody has to address it.

Somebody does need to address it, there's no doubt about that. We can argue about whether Cuomo's the guy, or whether it's Congress, or whether it's local law enforcement... truth be told, it's all of them, I'd suggest, but it's not my place to try and steal Cuomo's thunder. After all, there are plenty of people around to do that. 

Like my Congressman, Rep. John Katko (R-Trump Wants Me to be Primaried). Katko's a former federal prosecutor; he helped take down some violent gangs back in the day here in Syracuse, so he has some experience in this area. He's also a Republican in a purple district, NY-24. He voted for the second impeachment, and led the charge to get a bill passed that would have established an independent, 9/11-style investigation into the insurrection. Neither of those have endeared him to his hard-core constituents. 

So, attacking Cuomo seems safe, and that's what Katko did, when he blamed state policies for the increase in violent crime.

Right now, in New York State the laws are terrible. Bail reform is a good example of that, and defunding the police. The fact that the governor is admitting that his policies have failed, the policies of the Democrats have failed, is a good step in the right direction.

Katko thinks we need a stronger stand against gang violence, and says that, while Cuomo's plan includes millions for jobs for at-risk youth, targeting high-crime areas and illegal gun sales, it might not be enough.

It’s better than nothing, but New York city defunded their police by one billion dollars with a 'b' and look what happened there, so he’s starting to understand that he’s got a mess on his hands that he helped make.

OK - those are the soundbites, here are the facts. 

According to Fox News, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed the New York City Council’s move strip the New York Police Department of $1 billion in funding, questioning “what it means” and calling for concrete action.

"I don’t know what it means," Cuomo said during a press briefing Wednesday. “What does that mean? Does this mean I am less safe? Where did you take the billion dollars from? Does it mean I am more safe? Does it have any effect on police abuse? I don’t know what it means...”

The truth is, like many people, Cuomo thought calls to defund the police hurt Democrats in last year's elections.

I think 'defund the police' went too far. I think law and order makes a difference in people's lives... I think 'defund the police' was a really unfortunate expression. I don't think anyone meant it literally.

Yes, he wants police departments to reform. Yes, he doesn't think much of Bill de Blasio, and taking a swipe at him is good fun, but in the end, he's not a big gun behind the 'defund' movement - he favors rethinking policing, and required all departments in the state to submit community-supported plans to do just that, or lose state funding. Did Katko not know that?

And, let's look at bail reform, another Katko complaint, and some crime statistics. The truth is, bail reform - and COVID-related prisoner releases - are not significant contributors to the increase in gun violence. And that's coming from the NY Post, hardly a Cuomo-supporting media outlet.

While the surge in gunplay is undeniable, a Post analysis of department data found that most people released under the criminal justice reforms or amid the pandemic had no known ties to the bloodshed — with criminal justice experts saying the cops should focus on the flow of illegal guns into the city instead of playing the “blame game.”

Here are the details, from the NYPD's own data (emphasis added):

• There's been a 46% increase in shootings (528 this year through June 30th, compared to 362 in the same time period last year), but the NYPD has closed only 28% of them, about half the normal close rate.
• Of the roughly 11,000 released under the new bail laws, only 91 have any connection to a shooting, and only one person has been charged. Over half of them were either victims (25) or witnesses (24); the remaining 41 are documented as either suspects (31) or "perps" (10) in the NYPD data.

And for good measure, here are the numbers on COVID releases.

• 2500 or so inmates were released from Rikers to reduce overcrowding during the pandemic; some 275 have been rearrested (through mid-June), but only nine are linked to shootings. One was arrested, two are "persons of interest," and three are witnesses. The other three? They were victims of shootings.

If these are the facts, why do politicians (and law enforcement officials) insist on saying something else? Richard Aborn, who's president of the Citizens Crime Commission, thinks this is why.

There's a blame game going on, and I don't think it's helpful. I think it would be helpful if the NYPD [issued] a clear report explaining why they think the uptick in shootings is linked to bail reform.

Maybe Rep. Katko would consider doing the same?

Wondering on Wednesday 3/24/21

Ready... Set... Wonder!

I've got an eclectic set of wonderment today. Let's dive in, shall we?

According to this article, the Biden administration is putting accountability back into the government, because "(a)gencies were clear, and unanimous, in their desire to have the earlier framework reinstated," according to an OMB official. The guidelines, which were removed on Christmas Eve, relieved agencies from having to set performance goals and track progress against them. One reason for the removal was that folks weren't reading the reports on Performance.gov. Another reason? The Trump administration was focused on getting rid of work that "doesn't lead to impactful change or measurable efficiencies." I'm wondering, how you can determine if measurable efficiencies have been made if you're not measuring them?

Moving from DC to Tennessee, if everything goes as State Rep. Jerry Sexton planned, the Bible will be the official book of the Volunteer State. Sexton gave a couple reasons why the Bible should be the official book, including to "reflect family heritage and underscore the multi-million-dollar industry that is Bible printing in Tennessee." Now, obviously the Bible is not critical to many Americans, including "Buddhist, or Muhammad or any of those religions," as Sexton called them, trying to be respectful to everyone's concerns and "just put the Bible where I feel that it belongs." 

His feelings aside, I wonder about the choice. While Bible publishing may be a multi-million- dollar industry," the healthcare industry in Tennessee is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Maybe the state's official book should be the manual on how to read an insurance claim form?

A researcher asked groups of voters to imagine that the Republican Party and the Democratic Party were each one person, and to identify the characteristics each of those people would have, or, as he put it, to “pretend that the attributes you associate with the Republican party were encapsulated in one person.”

• Five independents and one Democrat defined the Republican Party 'person' using these terms: Stubborn, Conservative, Unreliable, Selfish, Greedy, Ultra-capitalist, Closed-minded, Ultra-religious, Anti-immigrant, and Hypocritical.
• Three Republicans, two independents, and one libertarian used these terms: Fiercely loyal, Fiscally conservative, Responsible, Egotistical, More extreme, Rudderless, Narcissistic, Controlling, Elitist, Fearful, Passionate, Inconsistent, and Divided.

The same groups were asked to define the Democratic Party 'person.'

• The first group used these terms: Community-minded, Humanitarian, Open-minded, Fun, Caring, Globally aware, Accepting of other humans, Diverse in interests, Racially/gender diverse, Futuristic.
• And the second group? Stereotyping, Critical of ideas/of things they don’t like, Underdogs/Uncomfortable in the majority, Empathetic, Patronizing, Hypocritical, Messiah-complex, Utopian-driven, Spend a lot/not fiscally conservative,

I don't see any revelations there, but I do wonder about the Republican-Independent-Libertarian group being so harsh on their own party, and what that will mean going into the next election cycle.

Speaking of the next election cycle, C-SPAN is kicking off the "Road to the White House 2024" this Friday, with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talking up the Westside Conservative Club in Iowa. Whether Pompeo gets to run or not depends on whether The Former Guy decides to run again. With that decision seeming to be on hold until after next year's midterms, everyone else interested in running is forced to get out in front of voters - or at this point, are they just donors?  I also wonder who else will jump into the early fray.

And speaking of elections, how horrible must it be in Israel, I wonder? Yesterday's election apparently has resulted in another no-winner decision, for the fourth time in two years, if the exit polls are right. I can't even imagine having to go through that - it's hard enough having to put up with the mid-terms here. And if those polls are right, there'll be a fifth election later this year. 

Finally, news is breaking that New York's Senate, Assembly, and the Sonofa Gov have agreed to legalize adult recreational marijuana. I haven't seen the bill yet, but it was reported that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said getting this done is "essential" to the state's social and economic well-being - and by that, he means the 9% state sales tax is essential. Some local governments can tack on an additional 4% sales tax. There's more - a whole nother hunk of burning bureaucracy to manage the weed, and fights over what to do with the tax money, naturally. I'm not wondering about all of that - that's the New York way, adding taxes and layers of bureaucracy, and fighting about all of it. 

Well, what am I wondering about? How do I go about getting "Don't Bogart That Joint" installed as our new state song? I respect the folks who picked "I Love New York," our current state song, but I just want to put this song where I feel it belongs. 

What are you wondering about?

Meanwhile Back in Albany (v42)

Sonofa Gov Poster

The NYS Assembly, the chamber that's going to investigate (for one reason or another) the varied crises faced by the Sonofa Gov, has engaged a law firm to handle the heavy lifting for them.

I say 'for one reason or another,' because we know there was some confusion, or disagreement, among the Dems on a private call of conference members, which was made public - because of course it was.

The contentious conversation between Heastie and his Democratic colleagues, which has not previously been reported in detail, revealed how New York Democrats are consumed by Cuomo’s conduct and are deeply divided on how to move forward.

And, the article continued, it showed how they're now afraid of leaks, and of the potential that more women might bring allegations against Cuomo. 

At one point, (Speaker Carl Heastie) said the Assembly’s Democratic conference was divided between those who want to leave it to state Attorney General Tish James to investigate Cuomo’s conduct, those who hope the governor will step down, and those who want to see him impeached.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee's investigation "will focus on three different things: the seven women who have accused the governor of assault, the nursing home deaths and the mounting questions about" the Mario Cuomo Bridge project. As one Assembly member said, “He’s got three major buckets of shit going on here,” referring to Cuomo. 

So, we know the what; let's look at the who. 

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine announced that the Assembly has retained the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to lead the impeachment investigation into the mounting allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“Since Thursday, Chairman Lavine led a vigorous search for a top-flight firm to assist with the investigation. I have the utmost faith that Assemblymember Lavine and our Judiciary Committee will conduct a full and fair investigation,” Speaker Heastie said. “Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence, and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner.” 

The three attorneys assigned to the investigation have experience defending white collar criminals of all stripes, in federal and state courts, and with multiple regulators, and are highly praised by clients and their peers. One worked on the Mueller investigation.

Lavine said that the addition of firm will allow him and his committee "to fully and fairly investigate the allegations. These are serious allegations, and they will be treated with fairness, due process, and discretion." 

The addition of the firm also caused a stir - rightfully, I think. With all the law firms in NYC, and in Albany, and, honestly, anywhere else in the country, they managed to find one that, as the attorney for one of the alleged victims said, "has some associations that could call its objectivity into question."  

Dennis Glazer, the husband of the state’s chief judge of the Court of Appeals, Janet DiFiore, was a partner at Davis Polk for 30 years. Cuomo appointed DiFiore to her judgeship. She also served as the chair of the state’s public ethics commission, an entity controlled by the governor. Glazer was appointed by Cuomo to serve on the Board of SUNY Purchase and the state’s casino siting board. If the Assembly does vote to impeach, DiFiore would preside over a Senate impeachment trial.

It's been reported that Glazer is still getting a nice pension from his former firm. Not only that, but guess who the Sonofa Gov wanted to be involved in the investigation into the allegations? That's right - Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. And, should the investigation result in articles of impeachment? DiFiore will be a juror. 

What a mess. 

I don't know about you, but I am not at all surprised that at least one of Cuomo's accusers is saying she won't participate in the Judiciary Committee's "sham investigation." 

Would you do anything different if you were in her shoes?

Wondering on Wednesday 3/17/21

Today, we're playing a fill-in-the-blank version of our wondering game. You're free to complete the answers any way you want. 

1. Someone suggested Meghan Markle might run for president in 2024. I wonder, will this really make Former Guy more likely to _______?
2. I wonder how many people have learned a new skill, such as _________ ,since the pandemic was declared a year ago this week?
3. A crossword puzzle clue asked 'where politicians like to play.' The answer was Peoria;  I wonder, wouldn't they rather play in ________?
4. Just days after the American Rescue Plan passed, stimulus checks are arriving. I wonder if people will ______ the money, or will they _____?
5. The Washington Post issued a lengthy correction for an article about _______between a politician and a woman. Was the politician ______? And was the woman ________, I wonder?
6. There are all kinds of weather warnings - historic warnings, I've heard - for parts of  Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee beginning today. If a Sharpie was needed to update the weather maps, I wonder if ______ would be best suited to handle the task.
7. At a COVID briefing today, I had to wonder when I heard my Sonofa Gov Andrew Cuomo say  _______.
8. The NY Assembly and Senate are working on the budget, and might make mobile sports betting, legal pot, and more casinos a reality. I wonder, will they legalize ______ next?
9. Every now and then, I wonder how much longer we'll __________.
10. _______ and ______ are worth a wonder or two - do you agree? 

I'd love to see your answers - chime in! And I'd love to know what you're wondering about.

Poll Watch: New Yorkers Speak

I briefly mentioned the new Siena College poll as a Sidebar to this week's Sunday School, but I wanted to take a deeper look at the poll today. 

First, the small print: it was taken March 8-12; 805 NYS registered voters participated, 430 via landline and cell phones, and 375 online via a proprietary panel. The youngest person in the household was asked to participate. Phone and web data was merged and statistically adjusted by age, party, region, race/ethnicity, education, and gender. The error margin is 4.1%.

Recapping the info about the Sonofa Gov, the survey found

• 48% think Gov. Andrew Cuomo can effectively do his job despite the investigations; 34% say he can't (a +14 margin);
• 35% (+11) believe he has sexually harassed women; 
• 57% (+25) are satisfied with how he's addressed the allegations against him; and
• Blacks are the only group where a majority (59%) want to see him re-elected.

Here's some detail on the resignation question; as I noted yesterday, 50% say he should not.

• Independents are the most conflicted on that; 46% say no, but 22% are undecided;
• the 'no' votes from all regions of the state: 55% in NYC, 46% in the NYC suburbs, and 47% upstate;
• Blacks (69%) offer more support for him staying in office than other ethnicities; whites and Latinos both are at 47%,' and
• responses are pretty consistent across income levels: 51% of the <$50K, 47% of the $50K - $100K, and 52% of the >$100K all say he should not resign.

Here's what else is on our minds in the Empire State.

• By a slight margin (but within the margin of error), more of us think the country is on the right track (50%) than think New York is (48%).
• Independents view Joe Biden (57%) more favorably than they do Andrew Cuomo (38%), and Cuomo more favorably than they do former NYer Donald Trump (34%).
• Higher income earners ($100K and up) significantly favor Biden (65%) over both Cuomo (43%) and Trump (30%)
• Upstaters show higher favorability ratings for both the Assembly (42%) and Senate (44%) than I expected; Independents (35% and 36%, respectively) are less happy with both chambers. 
• Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins have extraordinarily high Don't Know/No Opinion ratings (71% and 68% respectively), given they're not new in their roles. That may have to do with them being in Cuomo's shadow, until recently.
• Our senior Senator, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has both a higher favorable rating than Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (49% to 43%) and a higher unfavorable rating (35% to 27%). 
• With 74% overall support, we love the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan. Other than Republicans (48%), a majority of every single demographic - political party, ideology, gender, union and non-union households, all age groups, all declared faiths, all geographic regions, all races/ethnicities, and all income brackets - support it.

Finally, since we're in budget season, here are the responses to a couple of potential money-making opportunities for the state.

• On whether we should allow online sports betting, at least a plurality of all demographics except Jews (38%) says yes.
• Similarly, on the question of legal recreational pot, at least a plurality of all demographics says yes.

Do you see your opinions represented here? And are they accurate compared to what you and folks in your circles (or COVID pods) are thinking? Chime in!

Sidebar: Sunday School 3/14/21

Yesterday's Sunday School classrooms were full of talk about my Sonofa Gov Andrew Cuomo, the harassment allegations against him, and his defiance in the face of continuing calls for him to resign. 

I didn't include everyone's full remarks in the post - no room for all of that - but the gist of many comments was that New Yorkers have lost faith in him and we want him to resign. And, as you've likely heard, there's a whole host of folks - both Democrats and Republicans - who weren't in the classrooms yesterday who think that's appropriate, and have issued statements to that point. 

Here's the thing: according to a Siena College Research Institute poll taken last week and released today, it's not true that 'most' New Yorkers want him to resign. Here's a quick look from a NY Times article; I've added the emphasis.

In a survey of 805 registered New York State voters, 57 percent said they were satisfied with how Mr. Cuomo had addressed the allegations, while 32 percent said they were not. Fifty percent said he should not resign, while 35 percent said he should. Nearly half said they believed he could continue to do his job effectively as governor, with 34 percent saying he could not.

Even so, the governor’s favorability rating has plummeted to one of the lowest points of his decade-long tenure: Only 43 percent of voters said they had a favorable opinion of the governor, down from 56 percent last month.

I'll have more from the poll later this week, including opinions of New Yorkers on the American Rescue Plan, vaccines, and more.

Sunday School 3/14/21

It's a Sonofa Gov Sunday School today. 

All five of the main classrooms mentioned Andrew Cuomo at least once, and we'll see how much'll fit, starting with Chuck Todd and the panel on Meet the Press, 

• John Heilemann (NBC,) suggested we don't know "what else is out there," and that Cuomo's "following what is now seen as the Trump precedent:" be determined, be shameless, and hold on.
• Lanhee Chen (Hoover Institute) said "this shouldn't be a partisan issue," and eventually the Rs will have to admit that what Trump did and what Cuomo's doing "look very, very similar." All of this stems from having one party in power for a long time, which "creates a toxic environment ...that lacks accountability." 
• Maria Teresa Kumar (Voto Latino) said "Trump has basically moved the goalposts" of what's proper and what's not, and she thinks Cuomo won't step down unless the voters demand it, or unless something worse comes to light.
• Hallie Jackson (NBC) said it's "highly unlikely" that President Biden will address this on his own; she said there's "at least some talk" that Cuomo could lessen the heat "if he were to say he would not... run again in 2022," but even that won't make it go away.
• Chuck said "it was amazing to read today that he has no place to go. No place to live. He has no apartment. He has no house. He only has the governor's mansion."

In the State of the Union classroom, Jake Tapper talked with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan; Cuomo succeeded him as head of the National Governors Association. Hogan said it's not his place to speak for New Yorkers, but "hopefully, we're going to get to the bottom of this, because it's pretty serious allegations and growing every day."

Stacey Abrams didn't want to enter the fray, other than to say she believes "that women should be heard, that any accusations of sexual misconduct should be investigated." 

Tapper had a lot to say, including that Cuomo is entitled to due process. Still, he said,

By now he has to know there is a chasm between how he perceives how he talks to women on his staff and how some of those women perceive it, as in some of them perceive it not only as inappropriate but as pressure to sleep with him...Only he knows what other names and incidents might come forward as he digs in. One wonders if that is even a remote consideration.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked with George in the This Week classroom. She said she's got confidence in AG Tish James, but that Cuomo's got to ask himself if he can be effective in leading our state - but she stopped short of saying he should resign. George also asked his panel about Cuomo. Here's a sampling of their comments.

• Former Rep. Donna Shalala doesn't think he can effectively lead, noting the "cumulative effect" with so many women coming forward, and "at the end of the day, it looks like he cannot and should not survive" as governor.
• Amanda Renteria, a Democratic operative, agreed with Shalala. "The days of where you can use your positional power to take advantage of folks who work for you is over."
• Former Gov. Chris Christie, who called for patience and letting Trump investigations play out, said he has to take the same position here, otherwise "we'd just be playing the same polarizing politics we've been playing in this country. If it's right for the Republicans, it's right for a Democrat, too."
• Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd disagreed with any suggestion that Cuomo's a victim of cancel culture. "This is an issue of a powerful individual creating a toxic culture that prevented women from being successful within their jobs." That's unacceptable, and it's why he needs to step down.

NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio, who has a contentious relationship with Cuomo, talked with Margaret Brennan in the Face the Nation classroom. He thinks Cuomo will try to hang on, saying that "he is used to getting his way..."

But I got to tell you, the folks in this state and the political leadership don't believe him anymore. He doesn't have any credibility. So I think an impeachment proceeding will begin, and I think he will be impeached and perhaps right before that he'll decide to resign. That's probably the most likely outcome right now... 

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said it's "very important" to take any allegations seriously, that the women "have credibility," and beyond that, as to the Governors Association, "it's within their bailiwick to deal with that issue."

And finally, here's what the folks had to say in the Fox News Sunday classroom, where Chris Wallace asked his panel about Cuomo. 

• Jonathan Swain, of Axios, said Cuomo "doesn't have a lot of friends, doesn't have a lot of ingrained loyalty and affection," and he's isolated now. He suggested that President Biden's silence "becomes more conspicuous" and may not be sustainable.
• Karl Rove, the Republican operative, said Cuomo "can sort of string this out," but the NY Delegation calling for his resignation on Friday after the majority of the state Dems did so on Thursday make that much harder. "I think he's toast," he added.
• Donna Brazile, former DNC chair, said Cuomo's "not going to listen to the music no matter how loud it plays" - rather, he'll try and tough it out. And, "he's not going to be able to govern effectively" for us in NY, when "we really need leadership at this moment."

I promise we'll get to some of the other topics - including what's happening at the border - in your Extra Credit. 

See you around campus - masks on, of course.

TGIF 3/12/21

Let's flip things around today, and put the good week stuff on top, shall we?

If you're a fan of nature, pretty colors, cardinals, or things that you'll never see with your own two eyes, this story's for you. Folks in Illinois have spotted a "super-rare" yellow cardinal. How rare, you might be wondering? Well, there are only about a dozen of the gorgeous birds in the entire Eastern US and Canada. You can see the gorgeous bird in the link above. 

Have you ever done something for someone else, every day for 591 days? I can honestly say I haven't. But this guy has: he's been picking up trash on a popular hiking trail in California's Eaton Canyon, a couple of buckets full at a time. And what else is cool? He's going to keep picking up trash, on other trails, until he goes to college - and finds a park there to clean up.

And, there's this: last night, as part of his address marking the anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic, President Joe Biden strongly condemned hate crimes against Asian-Americans. After saying they've been "attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated" during the pandemic, he said

They've been forced to live in fear for their lives just walking down streets in America. It's wrong. It's un-American, and it must stop.

This is in marked contrast, of course, to Former Guy.

One last bit of good week-iness? Rep. Marcia Fudge was confirmed as HUD Secretary; Judge Merrick Garland was confirmed as Attorney General, and Michael Regan was confirmed as EPA Administrator.

On the bad week side of the ledger?

Florida's Rep. Matt "where's Nestor?" Gaetz and Ohio's Rep. Gym Jordan had a bad week, I think. The American people don't agree with their position on the American Rescue Plan, and neither do Dems in the House majority, who ignored them and passed it anyway. And then - and then - the two of them decided to climb aboard the #FreeBritney movement and ask for an investigation into conservatorships. But then, to make matters worse, an attorney for Britney's father's, (he's the conservator) fired back at the two goofballs in a statement to Fox News, suggesting they don't know what they're talking about. 

My Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo, continues to refuse to resign, as calls for him to do that escalate. He called that cancel culture, which I think is a bad idea. Him calling it that, I mean. The latest to pile on? Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. They issued a joint statement calling for him to step down.

Former Guy is in the news again, for the wrong reason again: his acting Secretary of Defense, Chris Miller, said Trump's speech on January 6th was responsible for the insurrection. In an interview with VICE on Showtime, Miller said

Would anybody have marched on the Capitol, and tried to overrun the Capitol, without the president’s speech? I think it’s pretty much definitive that wouldn’t have happened.

Not only that, but he described his tenure as a "constant drumbeat...of potential illegal, immoral, and unethical activities causing him to "closely examine his ethical, moral and legal red lines." 

Geraldo Rivera toyed with the idea of running for office this week. He was exploring a bid for the US Senate seat held by Rob Portman - he's not running for re-election next year. After a whole 36 hours of what he called a "pondering whirlwind" he decided against it, without giving reason on Twitter. However, on TV, he blamed folks at Fox News who challenged him to decide if he's a journalist or a politician. 'None of the above' wasn't a choice, I guess. 

Actor Matthew McConaughey is sorta maybe kinda seriously considering running for governor of Texas next year, and some folks think that's ridiculous. Like this guy, offering his opinion to CNN.

Let me offer him some friendly advice from someone who has spent decades reporting on my state's government: stay out of Texas politics. McConaughey is exactly what the state does not need — someone with great talent in his chosen profession and no known experience in public office or politics. 

Finally, lots of folks in Jackson Mississippi are entering their fourth consecutive bad week. Remember the storm that froze the Texas windmills? Well, that same storm caused millions of folks in Mississippi's capital to lose power, deal with freezing pipes, and, still, broken water mains. From this NPR piece we learn that

Hundreds of residents in Jackson, Miss., are now in week four of a water crisis. Some in the majority-Black capital city still don't have water after last month's winter storm. Others have to boil their water first. 

When's the water coming back on? No one seems to have the answer.

TGIF, everyone.

The Update Desk: The Sonofa Gov on Sexual Harassment

Everyone knows that my Sonofa Gov, Andrew Cuomo, has been accused of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, and of making three accusers very uncomfortable. He issued a couple of apologetic statements the other day: an official one on his website, and a more personal one at the end of his COVID press conference. I've got links to both statements in this week's  Wondering on Wednesday, if you haven't seen them yet.

Some people may have forgotten about another sexual harassment case with ties to Cuomo; I addressed them in this Meanwhile Back in Albany entry from December 2017. 

It's everywhere, the insidious scourge of sexual harassment. 

That was the opening sentence. And, it continued by explaining that 'everywhere' included, we were told,  in the administration of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in New York City, Lisa Marie Cater alleges that William (call me Sam) Hoyt, who worked as head of the Empire State Development Corporation, repeatedly made unwanted advances, and further that the harassment was reported to and ignored by Cuomo's office, which is why Cuomo is a named defendant in the suit. The governor's office  denies ignoring the complaints.

It was against that backdrop that the governor found himself on the receiving end of a question from Karen Dewitt, an award-winning, long-time journalist with New York Public Radio, on this issue 

and it's safe to say that it didn't go well for the Sonofa Gov.

Dewitt noted the Hoyt allegations and asked Cuomo what he could do differently, and here's how he responded.

You have it going on in journalism. What are you going to do differently?

OK - sure, that's true, but this is a reporter talking to a governor who is a defendant in a sexual harassment case involving an appointee of the governor. There was some exchange after that comment, including a different reporter pointing out that the question was about state government. That didn't sit well.

No, it's about you and journalism (pointing his finger at the other reporter). And it's about you and journalism (turning to Dewitt and pointing again). And it's about state government. And it's about carpentry and it's about training forces... (Note: that last one may not be accurate, it was hard to understand what he said.)

Again, Dewitt asked if there was something that Cuomo could do differently. Apparently, his only option on that was to lecture Dewitt, using his best professorial intonation, especially at the end of this exchange.

We will have policies in state government, obviously, that affect state government, but I think you miss the point. When you "it's state government" you do a disservice to women, with all due respect, even though you're a woman.

Um... what the hell is that?

It went on like that, with him trying to change the subject, deflecting the questions about him, and talking about some bigger, "this has nothing to do with me" issue. At one point, Cuomo lectured the reporters on the need for them to see the bigger picture. In the emphasis I've added below, you can hear his voice, if you're at all familiar with how he speaks.

It's not government. It's society. It was Harvey Weinstein in the arts industry. It's comedians. It's politicians. It's chefs, right? It's systemic. It's societal. It's not one person in one area. It's not just Charlie Rose, right? It's not just Matt Lauer. It's not just journalists. It's societal.

Finally, slowing down the pace of his answer to something slower than a school closing chyron, he finished his lecture.

Understand. The. Breadth. Of. The. Problem

Which, frankly, is exactly what Dewitt and the other reporters were hoping Cuomo would do, specifically as it relates to him, not as it relates to anyone else. 

Importantly, the lawsuit against Cuomo and the SECD was dismissed in 2018, with the judge giving several reasons for doing so, including that there were no allegations that Cuomo knew about or participated in the harassment. The case against Hoyt was dismissed in 2019. 

Still, several questions remain, including a big one: Does Andrew Cuomo Understand. The. Breadth. Of. The. Problem? 

Wondering on Wednesday 3/3/21

Ready... Set... Wonder!

So, are you wondering about the agreement between President Biden and moderate Dems in the Senate, the one that'll tighten the income requirements for the next stimulus? Honestly, I think it's a good idea, and I don't care if that puts me in the minority. 

The House bill would give the full $1400 payment to individuals who make up to $75K and married couples making up to $150K, a lesser amount for folks earning between $75K -$100K and couples earning between $150K-$200K, and nothing for folks over those higher thresholds. The new plan for the Senate version is the same as the House, except that individuals earning over $80K and couples over $160K wouldn't get anything.

To me, that's progress - and it bodes well for them taking a closer look at other parts of the bill that seem excessive, or that have a razor-thin tie to COVID. 

Also not really drawing wonder from me? Comments by AOC, of the Squad of progressives in the House. Here's what she said, according to the same article above

I don't understand the political or economic wisdom in allowing Trump to give more people relief checks than a Democratic administration. People went far too long without relief last year - if anything, we should be more generous, not more stingy. It's also an insensitive compromise for the roughly 80% of Americans that live in urban areas, which are known for higher costs of living.

Here's the thing I do wonder about, now that AOC is on record with concerns about being sensitive to people in high cost of living areas. How can she be such a proponent of a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour? If you want to talk about being "insensitive," imagine convincing yourself and countless millions of others that it's acceptable to have the same minimum wage in Mississippi, where the 2021 cost of living is 86.1; Arizona, where it's 97; and in New York, where it's 139.1?

Sticking with sensitive people, the poor people at Fox are beside themselves with the insensitivity of Dr. Seuss Enterprises in deciding to stop publishing six books. Here's a chart from the Media Matters gang showing the absurd imbalance in the network's coverage yesterday of three topics: Seuss, COVID vaccines, and testimony about the insurrection on January 6th. 

Now, we know exactly why they're doing this - it's to get our attention away from things that are, you know, actually important - including the ongoing pandemic and anything that might put the network and their conspiracy theories in a bad light - which is exactly what FBI Director  Christopher Wray did.

We have not to date seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribing to antifa in connection with the 6th," he said. "That doesn't mean we're not looking, and we'll continue to look, but at the moment we have not seen that.

Wray also noted that there was no evidence that there were "fake Trump supporters" in the mob that stormed the Capitol, as Johnson and others have insinuated.

Now, back to the folks at Dr. Seuss Enterprises; the reason they're choosing to stop publishing the books is because they "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong."  

In And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, for example, a character described as Chinese has two lines for eyes, carries chopsticks and a bowl of rice, and wears traditional Japanese-style shoes. In If I Ran the Zoo, two men said to be from Africa are shown shirtless, shoeless and wearing grass skirts as they carry an exotic animal. Outside of his books, the author's personal legacy has come into question, too — Seuss wrote an entire minstrel show in high school and performed as the main character in full blackface."

Oh - in case you're wondering, it's not "cancel culture" when a company, after a couple of years of review and reconciliation, decides to do something like this. It would be cancel culture if I were a million times more famous than I am, and I called on my millions of followers to, say, stop shopping at Macy's, like Dear Leader did.

Finally tonight, here's the official statement from my Sonofa Gov's website on the recent allegations that he sexually harassed three women, and here is the statement he gave in person today at his COVID press conference.  The second one - the live version, if you will - started out this way:

Now, the lawyers say I shouldn’t say anything when you have a pending review, until that review is over. I understand that; I’m a lawyer too. But I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this.

I'm wondering if Gov. Cuomo talked with his daughters about how they would feel if someone his age talked to or acted towards them the way it's alleged he spoke or acted.

If he didn't, I hope he does.

What are you wondering about tonight?

TGIF 2/19/21

Time to get this week into the books, starting with the bad week list.

Can we agree that Sen. Rafael Edward 'Ted' Cruz (R-TX), he of 'the vacation that spawned a hashtag industry,' belongs at the top of the list?  

You can find any number of links to articles referencing his really bad idea to run off to Cancun for a $300/night quickie vacation with his wife and kids, in the middle of a pandemic and a major weather event impacting his constituents across the Lone Star State.  Just know that having the police help make sure you get to the airport, lying that you were just dropping off your daughters in another country while they were on a school break, lying that you immediately knew it was wrong, lying about having a return flight booked, the next day, and having your wife's 'hey, come and join us in Cancun" text messages be made public is probably the new dictionary definition of a bad week. 

And those hashtags? Here are a few: #FledTed #FlyinCruz #CancunCruz and #CancunCruz -feel free to use them on social media. 

Sticking with Cruz, but taking a different tack, we have Donny Jr. He blasted the calls for Cruz to resign, saying that senators work in Washington passing laws and stuff, they're not really needed in their states and, you know, who doesn't need a vacation?  He also slammed those who attacked Cruz but gave "their Democratic governors" a pass as they violated their own executive orders and shut their states down. A bunch of people from 'left' Twitter pounced on Donny for not knowing that Texas hasn't had a Democratic governor in years - but that's not what he said or what he meant. He was talking about 

• Gavin Newsom (D-CA) who went maskless to a restaurant to celebrate a lobbyist's birthday, violating his own pandemic rules. Newsom is facing a likely recall vote in the coming weeks, in part because of that dinner. 
• He was talking about the husband of Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) trying to get his boat in the water before Memorial Day, while the Gov was asking people to stay away from the lakes to reduce COVID spread. Whitmer eventually said her husband was joking, but no one was laughing. 
• He was talking about my Sonofa Gov heading down to Georgia to be celebrated, maskless and in violation of his own 'unnecessary travel' restrictions. 

I love a little righteous indignation as much as the next person, but be sure you understand what's being said before attacking - even before attacking someone named Trump. 

On the good week side of the ledger? Well, President Biden told the G7 that 

I am sending a clear message to the world, America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back and we are not looking backward we are looking forward together.

His message was well-received, at least by British PM Boris Johnson, who said "As you've seen and heard earlier, America is unreservedly back as the leader of the free world, and that is a fantastic thing." I'd agree with that. 

How about the 'tip war' going on in Cincinnati? Xavier and University of Cincinnati alums have raised over $34,000 for restaurant workers by ridiculously over-tipping on their bills. It started with a $1000 tip from a Xavier alum, which was topped by the $1001 offered by a UC alum, and it just keeps going. 

You've surely heard by now that NASA's Perseverance rover made it safely to Mars, after a months-long, nearly 300,000,000-mile journey. If you're interested you can follow the giant SUV-sized rover on Twitter. 

And there was good news out of Texas, even amidst all the trouble. An Austin man helped rescue over 100 stranded drivers; World Central Kitchen, founded by chef Jose Andres, has partnered with Houston restaurants  to provide over 2000 meals for folks impacted by the power outages. And, AOC, the Queens progressive, set up a website to raise money for 12 Texas organizations; her supporters chipped in $2M within 24 hours.

A restaurant owner in Chicago has been buying up all the tamales he can get from food trucks, which are struggling during the pandemic and the brutal cold weather. He uses his dozens and dozens of tamales to stock 'Love Fridges' - community refrigerators that folks in need can tap for meals as needed. Others are donated to homeless shelters. 

There's all kinds of good news out there; we just have to condition ourselves to look for it. 

TGIF, everyone.