Andy: We will win vs. COVID
Also touts pot in State of State
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo set his sights on the horizon Monday as he delivered a State of the State address focusing on the coronavirus crisis, its damaging economic impacts and the future of New York postpandemic.
The governor, speaking without an audience in the War Room in the state Capitol, was at turns somber and optimistic as he vowed to keep up the fight against COVID, which he described as a low tide exposing the ugly undercurrents of “racial divisions, religious tensions, government incompetence, social injustice and the danger of hateful leadership.”
In the face of the ongoing pandemic and vaccination efforts, Cuomo used the virtual event — one of four he plans to host this week — to outline policy proposals he believes will set the Empire State on a path forward.
“The question to be answered is what will we make of this moment?” the governor said. “Is it positive or is it negative? Do we move forward, or do we move backward? Is America, is New York stronger or weaker in the post-COVID world?”
Answering his own question, Cuomo expressed confidence in New Yorkers and their ability to rebuild in the wake of the crisis.
“We will win the COVID war, and we will learn and grow from the experience,” he said.
The overarching themes and ambitions included defeating COVID, vaccinating New Yorkers, managing the short-term economic crisis, investing in the future, transitioning to green energy, understanding the longterm effects of coronavirus and addressing systemic injustice.
Cuomo announced his intention to again back legalizing adult-use marijuana and is embracing mobile sports betting for the first time as the state seeks new revenue streams to combat a ballooning deficit.
The governor is calling for voting reforms that will allow more time to request absentee ballots and speed up the counting of mail-in ballots as well as changes to the state’s domestic violence laws along with several other items he wants the Legislature to either take up or pass as part of the state budget this year.
Cuomo also announced a new public health corps launching in partnership with Cornell University that will bring aboard 1,000 fellows to help roll out vaccinations, plans to build upon pandemic-era executive orders that would permanently expand telehealth, grant nurses priority admissions to CUNY and SUNY campuses and encourage New York businesses to manufacture medical supplies.
Other proposals would prohibit electric, gas, water, telecommunications, cable and internet companies from shutting off services during the pandemic and expanding access to broadband internet.
“All of these plans must move forward simultaneously,” he said. “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 War II.”
A large swath of the speech was dedicated to railing against the federal government for mismanaging the COVID crisis and a lack of funding for states as New York faces a $15 billion deficit.
In a nod to the Daily News’ famed “Ford To City: Drop Dead” headline, Cuomo slammed the Trump administration and Senate Republicans for holding up much-needed financial relief.
“In recent years, Washington not only told us to drop dead, they dug a grave and tried to push us in,” he said.
While encouraging Congress to consider raising taxes on the wealthy at the federal level, the governor again pushed back against the idea of New York enacting similar measures, instead outlining devastating cuts that could take place should Washington lawmakers fail to act.
In remarks made after the governor spoke, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) said lawmakers aren’t ruling out raising revenue by targeting the state’s richest residents.
“People have a lot of different revenue suggestions, and I think we want to be serious about looking at a variety of things because... we are trying to rebuild our economy in a sustainable way, in a progressive way.”
While the governor earned praise from some good-government groups for his focus on election and environmental issues, advocates in favor of increasing taxes on the wealthy panned Cuomo’s performance.
“Gov. Cuomo is offering a band-aid for a bullet wound. New York is in economic freefall — yet in the face of widespread hunger, homelessness and unemployment, the governor is proposing piecemeal solutions,” said Invest In Our New York campaign manager Rebecca Bailin.
The governor, meanwhile, struck a hopeful tone as he said the state must “aggressively plan for the post-COVID economic opportunities,” floating ambitious ideas such as repurposing vacant commercial space for use as supportive and affordable housing and tackling longstalled infrastructure projects to kick-start the economy.
Cuomo also touted a rapid-testing pilot program that allowed 6,700 football fans to attend a Buffalo Bills playoff game over the weekend, saying it could serve as a model for similar events and businesses as vaccinations continue.
“We must plan and start our post-COVID war reconstruction now to seize the advantage, and I will be outlining initiatives to do just that over the coming days. The truth is, we cannot stay closed until everyone is vaccinated. The economic, psychological, emotional cost would be incredible,” he said. “We must begin increasing economic activity and using science to do it, making COVID testing and vaccinations available, so that we can reopen restaurants and art spaces and theaters and commercial businesses.”
The State of the State address, Cuomo’s 11th since becoming governor, will be followed by three more speeches this week as the governor lays out more details of his legislative wish list.