Gov: Zap the little guys Backing Dem boss’ plan to lift barrier to get on ballot draws Liz slap
ALBANY — A brewing ballot battle is growing bitter as Gov. Cuomo offered support Tuesday to a proposal that could spell the end of the line for minor political organizations such as the Working Families Party.
New York State Democratic Party boss Jay Jacobs, appointed by the governor to a panel tasked with creating a public campaign finance system, recently floated the possibility that the commission could up the number of votes needed to grab a spot on a ballot — from 50,000 to 250,000.
The idea drew heat from critics, including Dem presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and kudos from Cuomo.
The governor said he sees the reasoning behind the potential change, arguing that a taxpayer-funded matching funds program would be overburdened by crowded ballots.
“You do have some clear issues, if you have seven political parties in the state and you go to public-finance it, which is the goal, you could potentially be financing 1,000 candidates per election cycle,” he said. “The public could be financing 1,000 races. Which is obviously politically and economically not feasible.”
Critics contend Jacobs’ pitch, first reported by The New York Times, is unnecessary and simply the latest Cuomo-orchestrated attempt to use the public campaign financing commission to cripple his political rivals. The governor and the union-fueled Working Families Party have sparred ever since the group endorsed his Democratic primary challenger, Cynthia Nixon, last year before ultimately placing his name on their line in the general election.
Warren, whose White House bid is backed by the WFP, called the latest broadside “deeply undemocratic.”
“This proposal comes from, of all places, a commission meant to improve our democracy,” she tweeted. “But attacking the @NYWFP is deeply undemocratic — and it will only benefit Republicans. No Democrat should allow this to pass.”
Jacobs (inset above) confirmed to the Daily News that the commission will be looking at raising the threshold and countered Warren with a play on her own catchphrase.
“I disagree with her — and I have a plan for that!” he said, but did not elaborate.
State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy, testifying Tuesday before the panel during a public hearing in Buffalo, painted the governor as a puppet-master pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“This is Cuomo’s attempt to legally fix elections, and he put the fox in charge of the hen house,” he said referring to Jacobs. “As is often the case with Cuomo, he corrupts the so-called anti-corruption tool.”
Cuomo (inset below) and Democratic leaders in the Legislature have faced scrutiny from all sides since failing to hammer out a public finance system during the legislative session and instead inserting language in the state budget creating the commission.
Critics and good-government groups are concerned that the broad authority given to the nine-member task force will lead to a watered-down matching funds program and allow its members to do away with fusion voting, which enables candidates to run on multiple ballot lines.
The Working Families Party and the right-wing Conservative Party have filed lawsuits challenging the power of the panel.
Cuomo on Tuesday brushed off concerns about the controversies surrounding the commission. “This is politics on steroids, and everyone has their own politics and they are trying to maximize their political advantage and disadvantage their opponent,” he said.
The recommendations of the commission will become law unless legislators return to Albany for a special session within 20 days of its final report, which is slated to be released the day before Thanksgiving.