Crains New York - January 14, 2013 - (Page 12)
OPINION
Cuomo agenda needs a plan
T
Date of poll: Jan. 9
129 votes
he ambitious agenda laid out last week by
Gov.Andrew Cuomo includes a number
of worthy goals and policy proposals, as
well as several that deserve more scrutiny.
There was little explanation in his
State of the State address, for instance, of
how he would pay for new programs
while keeping to his position that taxes should not be raised.
The governor promised a renewed push to hike New
York’s minimum wage, which has not been raised since
2004. An increase from the current $7.25 an hour surely is in
order, but not to a consensus-busting $8.75 all at once.
And he declared that the first three casinos to be allowed
under a pending constitutional amendment would be upstate.
Vegas-style gambling venues in any of the five boroughs
would be virtual mints for the state—Resorts World Casino
at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, even without human
dealers, is doing brisk business—but it’s hard to dispute that
upstate needs more help right now than the city does.
We were gratified to hear that Mr.Cuomo plans to revamp
the unemployment insurance program, which essentially has
been insolvent for a decade. It subsists on federal loans that
could ultimately stick businesses with massive interest
charges.But the governor is asking them to pay off the debt
faster than planned.He must spell out how he would
replenish the system without breaking employers,and how he
would raise benefits to the unemployed while increasing their
incentive to find work and not commit fraud,as pledged.
CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL
COMMENTS
Pity city’s poor GOP
NO CANDIDATES,
NO MONEY
WILL GOV. ANDREW
CUOMO’S CALL FOR A BAN
ON ASSAULT WEAPONS
MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
More restrictions would help reduce gun
violence.
Only a nationwide ban will work.
Fix the mental-health system instead.
“Manhattan GOP essentially
bankrupt” (The Insider blog,
Jan. 7) goes hand in hand with
the party’s not having offered
Democrats serious
competition for public office
on the city, state or federal
level in years.
39%
24%
The citadel of liberal
Republicans based on the East
Side was eliminated years ago.
Neighborhoods formerly
represented by the late Rep. Bill
Green, state Sen.Roy
Goodman, City Councilmen
Charles Millard and Andrew
Eristoff and Assemblyman
John Ravitz are now safely in
Democratic hands.
Crossover Ed Koch-style
37%
Democrats who voted for
Presidents Ronald Reagan
and George Bush (both),
Gov.George Pataki,Mayor
Rudy Giuliani and Mayor
Michael Bloomberg continue
to move out of town, retire
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12 |
Crain’s New York Business | January 14, 2013
out of state or succumb to
old age.
There has been no
successful GOP outreach to
new Caribbean, Hispanic,
Asian or other immigrant
groups, or to middle-class
African-Americans.
Once New York County
Republicans lose any City
Council, state Assembly, state
Senate or congressional seat,
they are never able to reclaim it.
The Manhattan GOP went
the way of the dinosaur long
ago.
AN EVEN HIGHER LINE
FOR QUEENS
Attention, Joseph Sitt and the
Global Gateway Alliance to
improve New York’s airports
(“Airport group’s boarding
call,” Jan. 7): If the state is
spending a half-million dollars
to study a “High Line” on the
Rockaway right-of-way in
—larry penner
Great Neck, L.I.
Queens (In the Boroughs, Dec.
17), it should also consider
restoration of the railway.A
direct 30-minute ride from JFK
airport to midtown would be a
game-changer for tourism and
business in New York.
Some 30,000 daily riders
would generate $100 million in
fares and take thousands of cars
off the roads. Delta and
JetBlue, which have invested
billions in facilities at JFK,
would love to see thousands of
business travelers attracted by
this convenience.
Advocates of restoring the
Rockaway line have always
envisioned parallel jogging and
biking trails, playgrounds and
parks.With sponsors like
airlines, hotels and the
Aqueduct racino, funding of
these amenities would be no
problem.And the elevated
railway would be a lifesaver in
evacuating thousands of elderly
and infirm Rockaway residents
in a major storm.
—art nudell
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Those goals seem contradictory.
We also await details of his workers’ compensation reform,
although the promise of reduced assessments on employers is
encouraging. Between the fixes to these two programs, the
governor projects $1.3 billion in savings to businesses.
Most of the dollar references in Mr.Cuomo’s speech,
How to pay for all
the governor’s
new programs?
however, involved spending.There was a $1 billion
affordable-housing program and a $1 billion “green bank” to
help spur the clean-tech industry.There also were solarpanel
subsidies, electric-car charging stations, full-day prekindergarten
for needy students, a longer school day or
school year (or both), a
major tourismmarketing
campaign,
public financing of
state elections and a
program to elevate or
buy flood-prone
houses.
It’s easy to see the price tag for those efforts reaching 11
figures. It’s also easy to envision Albany dealmakers funding
many of these causes through new fees.Here’s the hard
truth:The state is already facing a $1 billion budget deficit
and the prospect of reduced funding from a stingy Congress.
Even if Washington comes through with tens of billions of
dollars in storm aid, that money can’t be spent on teachers.
The governor still must offer a credible plan to make his
soaring words last week a reality.
CRAIN’S
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - January 14, 2013
Crains New York - January 14, 2013
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Opinion
Greg David
Small Business
Report: Real Estate
The List
Classifieds
New York, New York
Source Breakfast
Out and About
Snaps
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