The new mayor of the Big Apple, Bill de Blasio, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are duking it out. The mayor wants to slap his city’s millionaires with extra taxes — to fund the pre-K program the teachers’ unions want. (Note: pre-K is not for the kiddies. It is for more jobs for dues-paying […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Central New York business news and analysis updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Get a year's worth of the Print Edition of The Central New York Business Journal.
- Special Feature Publications such as the Book of Lists and Revitalize Greater Binghamton, Mohawk Valley, and Syracuse Magazines
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
The new mayor of the Big Apple, Bill de Blasio, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are duking it out. The mayor wants to slap his city’s millionaires with extra taxes — to fund the pre-K program the teachers’ unions want. (Note: pre-K is not for the kiddies. It is for more jobs for dues-paying union members.)
The governor says no way. He is not so crazy about whacking NYC millionaires with even more taxes — because these ever-higher taxes drive the millionaires away. “Away” is a place from which this state collects zero taxes from them. The state has already lost millions per day in taxes the rich used to pay. Before they moved to “Away.”
Cuomo also says that when we do tax NYC millionaires more, we should spread the money around the state. He says it’s a bad idea for the Big Apple to keep the new revenue for itself. In this case, for its own teachers. (Yeah, yeah. It is all supposed to be about the kids.)
In the middle of these fisticuffs, the governor reminded the mayor that he, the gov., represents more than the kids in the Big Apple. He also represents kids in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, etc. Dear reader, if you don’t live in one of those cities, consider yourself part of the etceteras.
Bottom line is as follows. The teachers’ unions have bought the mayor’s support for pre-K. They have bought the governor’s support for pre-K. The mayor says let’s pay for these new union jobs by whacking the rich more. The gov. says let’s go slow on whacking the rich. Especially in this election year. Besides, if you loot the NYC rich, Upstaters deserve some of that loot.
This makes the governor look good to Upstaters. He is a modern-day Robbing Hood. After all, he is trying to spread loot among us.
He also makes us feel good. By showing us he even knows we exist. You need proof? He actually spoke the words “Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.” Rumor is that he is in training to speak the words “Utica, Jamestown, and Geneva” later this year. Next year: Norwich, Watertown, and that really difficult one — Oswego.
This is a big deal. My guess is that if you asked the new mayor to name 10 upstate cities, he could not. Try asking NYC guys in the state Assembly to name them. They would begin with Passaic and Hoboken.
I give the governor full credit — for standing up for Upstaters in this skirmish. However, he would be the first to admit he can afford to do this. Just look at this through political lenses.
The governor could fill the streets of the Big Apple with cow manure and not lose a vote. The upper East Side has some Republicans, but it is like a gated community. The rest of the city will vote Democrat no matter what the governor says or does.
So what does he have to lose by standing up for Upstate? What does he have to lose by embarrassing the Big Apple’s new mayor? Absolutely nothing.’ That’s what he stands to lose.
So, Cuomo is in a sweet situation. He knows nobody will beat him in this year’s New York gubernatorial election. The Republicans might as well run my dog in the election. Meanwhile, by making nice to Upstaters, he can pick up extra votes. Unless my dog is more popular than I think, the gov. may win by a landslide. Which will give him more clout in the party.
Maybe the extra clout will help him win the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency. You never know. Hillary could have a heart attack en route to the coronation. You know, when she is shocked by totally unexpected bombshell news — such as Bill has stopped chasing skirts. That might do it. And that would leave an opening for our governor.
I can see it now. Cuomo addressing the Democratic National Convention. “And when the loot came in — in my beloved state — what did I do? Unlike some leaders, I spread that loot to the kids in Buffalo. And the kids in Syracuse. And the kids in … Os … Otswa … Ostral … to the kids in Etcetera!”
Here’s to you, governor. A toast from Etceteraville. With wine from the Finger Lakes.
From Tom...as in Morgan.
Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and new TV show. For more information about him, visit his website at www.tomasinmorgan.com
