Power revoked, sort of
Ensnared in serious charges of sexual harassment, which will be independently examined by an investigator appointed by Attorney General Tish James, Gov. Cuomo has been politically weakened, whether you like him or hate him. But the business of government must continue, whether you like him or hate him.
While New York properly waits for the probe to proceed expeditiously (despite impeachment and resignation demands from his old foes, Republicans and some Democrats) the Legislature is rightly resisting calls to wipe out the emergency COVID rules Cuomo has put in place in this past year of death. Everything from mask requirements, to limits on restaurants and bars, to school procedures and vaccine priorities, stem from his executive orders issued under extraordinary authority granted him by the Legislature last March as the pandemic descended.
Anger at Cuomo, whether stemming from harassment allegations, nursing home deaths or anything else, mustn’t leave the state unprotected while the virus still lurks and full vaccination remains ahead.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie say their houses will repeal Cuomo’s temporary emergency powers. Though that sounds tough (and dangerous), don’t worry, as all existing directives would remain in place. So this way lawmakers can say that they are checking Cuomo’s previously unchecked emergency powers without imperiling the health of New Yorkers. In that case, repeal away.
Under their plan, any current COVID rule can stay in place (like mask mandates or vaccination setups) but Cuomo will have to notify lawmakers and receive their comments. That’s doable. And the Legislature still has the ability to undo any rule they don’t like with a simple majority, something they’ve had all along since last year and haven’t done once.
As for any newly needed COVID rule (and this thing is so strange we can’t guess what it could be), it seems that Stewart-Cousins and Heastie want the Legislature to pass a law. Okay, hopefully COVID’s next pitch won’t be another curveball.
Brooklyn: According to yesterday’s Daily News headline, our lovely Gov. Cuomo was just being “playful” and making jokes (“Gov just ‘playful,’ ” March 1). I don’t think so, and I know that pretty much every New Yorker — and outsiders — will feel the same. Was he playful and joking when he was responsible for almost 15,000 deaths? All the dirt is coming out now and he’s trying to play nice by opening up restaurants, gyms, theaters and other venues and trying to make the public forget his dirty deeds and lies — all in vain! About time he gets his just do. In his daily communications, he always said, “We will investigate,” and now it’s his turn. Anthony A. Vento