Here And Now

A.M. Roundup: How much do Cuomos aides make?
Good morning! One day of session down, six more months to go. Including today. Expect more negotiations between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders, or at least among their Staffers. And expect lawmakers to leave town tonight ahead of a coming Snow Storm. Here are the day’s headlines… Larry Schwartz is paid more than everyone in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s inner circle — including the Governor himself. (TU) The legislative session began “with a whimper,” Rick writ...

Labor Leaders, Selected Democrats Celebrate at DiNapoli's Swearing-In
On Sunday afternoon, after a moment of silence for the shootings in Arizona, and before he got choked up talking about his immigrant grandfather, state Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli thanked everyone who filled the Great Hall at Cooper Union to celebrate his first statewide election. "I'm delighted to share this swearing-in—the others were practice, I explained to Judge Lippman—because this is with family and friends, and people who I want to be with," DiNapoli said. DiNapoli official...

Libous, Silver Questioned About Renewing Higher Income Taxes On The Wealthy
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, wouldn’t commit today on whether he will support continuing higher income taxes for the wealthy, saying it could be part of Budget negotiations. The tax expires next year, potentially leaving as much as a $4 billion annual loss of revenue that the higher Income Tax bracket has produced for the state in recent years. It would leave at least a $1 billion hole in the 2011-12 budget, which starts April 1, because the tax is set to expire at the e...

Breslin tapped deputy leader
ALBANY -- Sen. Neil Breslin has been tapped as deputy leader of the 26-member Democratic Conference, a post that requires him to coordinate the legislative flow on the chamber floor and serve as the second-in-command to Minority Leader John Sampson, D-Brooklyn. "I think it brings honor to the County of Albany that I have been selected as deputy minority leader, but it also means that I will have a great deal of work to do to make sure that we get out of the $10 billion Deficit while at the same ...

Labor Leaders, Selected Democrats Celebrate at DiNapolis Swearing-In
On Sunday afternoon, after a moment of silence for the shootings in Arizona, and before he got choked up talking about his immigrant grandfather, state Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli thanked everyone (Read more...) ...

DiNapolis privatization warning
This may be something to watch, given rumblings that Gov. Andrew Cuomo may be looking at privatization as a way of helping solve the state’s Budget woes. Comptroller Tom Dinapoli (a fellow Democrat who Cuomo notably didn’t endorse) issued the following cautionary release and report on privatization; As New York state grapples with cost-effective solutions for its estimated $250 billion in infrastructure needs over the next 20 years, the state should examine both the opportunities t...

Moran: In new political strategies, Christie scales back hostile tone, N.J. Democrats vow to fight
Enlarge Star-Ledger Staff Gov. Chris Christie delivers his State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber of the Statehouse. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger) Gov. Christie delivers State of the State address gallery (11 photos) Trenton — It was a day of such role reversals in Trenton Tuesday that you had to rub your eyes to make sure it was real. There was Gov. Chris Christie playing the part of the teddy bear with his arms stretched out for a hug. New Jersey was now a nation...

Cuomo rebuffs linkage of tax cap, rent control
In a Q&A with reporters Monday afternoon, Gov. Andrew Cuomo described his midday meeting with legislative leaders Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos as collegial and productive, but said in no uncertain terms that his push for a Property Tax cap shouldn’t be linked with changes to the current schedule of rent stabilization laws. “I think that these are separate issues, and they should be analyzed as separate issues,” Cuomo said. “One of the mistakes we’ve made in...

Legislature Plans Changes To Cuomos Tax Cap Idea
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s Legislature has started reshaping some of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s key proposals. Legislative leaders say they are working on changes involving one of Cuomo’s top issues: capping the growth of property taxes that are among the highest in the nation. Cuomo wants those taxes to grow by only 2 percent a year or the rate of Inflation, whichever is less. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says Monday he is considering additions to the proposed list o...

We have a number for the hole
There’s actually more than one number that can be used to accurately describe the state Budget Deficit, depending on what your perspective is, but however you look at it, it’s big and it’s no longer projected or theoretical. State Comptroller Susan Combs today said lawmakers will have $72.2 billion available to spend in general revenue over the next two years — nearly $15 billion less than they budgeted in the current period. Combs’ official revenue estimate sets the ...

Cuomo's property tax cap is an ugly solution
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made a 2% property-tax cap a centerpiece of his new administration.  The state's local taxes are now 79 percent above the national average, making them the highest among the 50 states.  Residents and businesses alike agree something has to be done.  However, there remains great debate on whether or not a tax cap is the best solution. At first blush, the cap would seem to address the most direct cause of the financial pain.  Taxes are high and co...

Committee Launches Ad To Support Cuomo
As we reported this morning, the Committee to Save New York, a business-backed group, has launched its first ad in support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s agenda, a first salvo in what is expected to be a protracted fight with unions over Cuomo’s cost-cutting plans. They also have this new website, Let’s Fix Albany, which encourages New Yorkers to contact their lawmakers and “help us show New York’s legislators that it’s time to fix New York’s $10 billion budge...

Gov. Cuomo Says Closed Meeting With Legislature Worked
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images) ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters that his closed meeting with legislative leaders went well as he tries to draw the support of lawmakers. The Democrat met with legislative leaders in the governor’s mansion Monday on the first day of the first full week of the legislative session. Cuomo said he hopes to leverage the mandate he says voters gave to his agenda in the Elections to gain the support of the ...

DiNapoli details risks in forming public-private partnerships
While forming public-private partnerships can be a cost-effective solution for the state’s roughly $250 billion infrastructure needs over the next two decades, state officials should consider the benefits and financial risks associated with them, state Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli said in a report today. Public-private partnerships are contracts between a public agency and private-sector entity. “It makes good sense for the state to look at public-private partnerships based on exper...

DiNapoli Urges Caution On Private-Public Partnerships
State Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli sounded a note of caution on the benefits of private-public partnerships as the state seeks new and cost-effective ways of building roads, bridges and tunnels. In a report issued this morning, the Democratic comptroller says the partnerships could mean more money for Taxpayers because of “Budget gimmickry” and differing expectations between the public and Private Sectors. “Our public infrastructure needs a lot of improvements - $250 bil...

Engel 'Shocked' By Attack on Friend, Says Heated Rhetoric and Crosshairs 'Doesn't Help Anything'
After the swearing-in ceremony for state Comptroller Tom Dinapoli yesterday afternoon, Congressman Eliot Engel took a moment to reflect on the attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. "I'm shocked, I'm very sad," he said. "Gabby Giffords is a very close personal friend of mine, one of my best friends in Congress. I've known her since before she ran for Congress. She is about as caring and as nice a person as you can find. It just breaks my heart." Giffords served on the Western H...

DiNapoli: Public-Private Deals Could Save Billions
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli warns that New York’s expected use of partnerships with private companies to sell or lease state assets has many pitfalls. But he urges the state to consider public-private partnerships to deal with what he says are $250 billion in infrastructure needs over the next 20 years. In other states, those partnerships have included leasing bridges for a large lump sum. The private company then sets and collects tolls and is responsible f...

Engel Shocked By Attack on Friend, Says Heated Rhetoric and Crosshairs Doesnt Help Anything
After the swearing-in ceremony for state Comptroller Tom Dinapoli yesterday afternoon, Congressman Eliot Engel took a moment to reflect on the attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. "I'm shocked, (Read more...) ...

DiNapoli, Champion Of Public Employees
All that work the Public Sector Unions did to help state Comptroller Tom Dinapoli eke out a win against his GOP opponent, Harry Wilson, is (Read more...) ...

Morning Read: More Political and Neurological Than Meteorological
The Bloomberg administration on Monday admitted to a host of errors in its handling of the paralyzing snowstorm last month, describing a lack of preparation, confused lines of authority and an ignorance of on-the-ground conditions. Stephen Goldsmith unveiled a 15-point plan to deal with future snowstorms, but, as Clyde Haberman notes, none of the 15 points recommends that the mayor not suggest to New Yorkers next time that they are whiners when they complain about things not going right. Since...

'Reform' is priority for Senate Democrats
Before anything else, Senate Democrats — now in the chamber's minority — want to pass tenets of a reform pledge signed by two north country senators. The chamber's Republican leaders, who own a 32-30 edge and control what bills can come to the floor, are less committed to that timetable. "It would be accurate to say that our priorities are the people's priorities: cutting spending, achieving Property Tax relief and helping the Private Sector create jobs," Senate Repub...

Assembly speaker insists New Jersey should focus on jobs
TRENTON - Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, pushing back against Gov. Christie's assertion that budgetary discipline and Pension and Education Reform would take priority in the coming year, said Tuesday the focus should be on Job Creation. A 30-bill Economic Recovery package with hundreds of millions of dollars in Tax Breaks gained final legislative approval on Monday and awaits Christie's signature, but the Governor said during his State of the State address that he would not support Tax Cuts New...

County leaders worry state will raid local funds amid shortfall
CARSON CITY - County Commissioners across Nevada are worried the state will again Raid money from local governments, will close some community colleges in rural Nevada and shut down the aging Nevada State Prison in Carson City. They expressed their fears Monday to Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, who promised to listen to their concerns in the future. Oceguera told a meeting of the Nevada Association of County Commissioners that the state faces a Deficit of between $1.1 billion and...

Senate gets in shape for session
ALBANY -- By next week, it will be a re-made state Senate. Staffers will be Laid Off. Senators will settle into new office suites. Committees under new direction will hold their first hearings. And the quartet of senators making up the new Independent Democratic Conference -- well, we'll see what next week brings. "Those things have not been discussed yet," Deputy Majority Leader Tom Libous, R-Binghamton, said of the breakaway klatch. "We're still trying to figure out how this works with a Repub...

AQE launches email-Cuomo campaign
The Alliance for Quality Education is getting out in front of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Budget proposal by calling on the public to send him an email that warns against “devastating” Budget cuts. Conspicuous in its absence is any mention of Cuomo’s proposed Property Tax cap, a mechanism that AQE seems to recognize has not yet been sufficiently vilified in the popular imagination. The Governor has repeatedly described the standard Budget process — the executive proposes a pa...