L.I. pols who balked at Amazon not hot for congest plan
Amazon isn't the only thing creating rifts in Albany.
Democratic lawmakers on Long Island expressed apprehension Wednesday about the 10-point transit plan unveiled this week by Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to fix the beleaguered Metropolitan Transportation Authority, saying they have “troubling concerns” about congestion pricing.
The six-member Long Island Democratic Senate delegation said they're not exactly opposed to the idea of charging drivers to enter parts of Manhattan, but raised questions about how the money will be spent and how residents of Nassau and Suffolk counties will be affected.
A Cuomo spokesman responded by telling the group to talk to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (DYonkers) and ask her “to appoint a Long Islander as her representative to the Capital Committee.”
“Also, since our congestion pricing plan doesn't set funding levels for the subways vs. commuter rails, we have no idea what they are talking about,” senior Cuomo adviser Rich Azzopardi said.
There might be more to the back-and-forth than just a matter of which rail lines receive funding, according to experts and insiders.
“It's possible, depending on how it plays out, and whether it's a tactical move or a real strategic move, that this represents a deeper rift between Democrats and Cuomo,” said Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio.
Cuomo's office targeted the
Long Island delegation earlier this month after Amazon backed out of its plans to build a billion-dollar tech hub in Queens, blaming the likes of Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Nassau), who they say “cowered when he should have shown courage.”
The Democratic governor has spent the past two weeks mourning the loss of the e-tailing giant and the 25,000 jobs it promised to bring to the Big Apple, castigating Senate Dems and calling it “the greatest tragedy that I have seen since I have been in government.”
Albany insiders said it was strange to see the often-at-odds Cuomo and de Blasio, who also backed the Amazon deal, joining forces on congestion pricing as the governor continues to lash out at members of his own party in the Legislature.
“He’s angry, and rightfully so. New York lost out on this big time, but it also appears that he’s trying to throw a few grenades over the fence just to be disruptive,” a source said.
Stewart-Cousins said Wednesday that she “hopes that’s not the intention.”
“There are reasonable disagreements and policy discussions among any political party, but I would hope that no one is trying to divide us or sow discord,” she said. “With an antiNew York administration in Washington, and major issues facing our state, it is essential that Democrats stand united.”