Best Governor/Mayor Relationship?

Does Mayor Bill de Blasio share Governor Andrew Cuomo’s view that their relationship “will be the best relationship between a mayor and governor in modern political history when all is said and done?”

Cuomo and de Blasio do have a long relationship, with de Blasio having worked for Cuomo in the 1990’s at Department of Housing and Urban Development, and there have been moments when Cuomo has looked to de Blasio for assistance.  At many other times however, and as have virtually all New York governors and mayors, Cuomo and de Blasio have found themselves at odds.  They’ve mostly worked to keep their disagreements and differences out of public view, but those frictions clearly exist.

I asked Mayor de Blasio about Governor Cuomo’s comment today at an unrelated press conference.  Here’s how he reacted (hint – the real answer is in the smile):

de Blasio Press Q&A: The M/WBE Edition

Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference this afternoon following a closed-door “Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise Stakeholder Meeting.”

Questions during the off-topic portion of the press conference included his opinion of the expected Democratic candidate in the 11th Congressional District special election and whether he’ll campaign for Gentile, the prospect of Department of Homeland Security losing funding, religious organizations renting City school facilities for prayer/worship services and the related lawsuit, a NY Post report criticizing a newly-created NYPD training program, reported terror threats against shopping malls, the absence of a Lunar New Year message from the mayor and his non-attendance at the Lunar New Year parade, his reaction to Governor Cuomo’s comment that their relationship will be “the best relationship between a mayor and governor in modern political history,” his scheduled trip to Albany on Wednesday and delays in federal funding of Sandy rebuilding.

Cuomo Speech Protest

A group of about ten protesters staged a brief demonstration in the lobby of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater Friday morning, just ahead of a speech by Governor Andrew Cuomo.  The group chanted school-related slogans (“protect our kids not billionaires”) and held signs (“School Teachers Over Hedge Funders”) critical of the governor.

Police and Cuomo staffers prevented the protesters from entering the theater where Cuomo would be speaking.  After a police officer (unclear if he was NYPD or a state trooper) and Cuomo staffer Rodney Capel pushed a protester out, the remaining protesters left with less dramatic confrontations.

Here’s a brief cell phone video clip:

Coverage of Cuomo’s appearance is here.

Cuomo Gaggle

Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke with the press today following his speech in Brooklyn.  Questions during the post-speech “gaggle” included the cost of a special election, his reaction to a New York Republican Party 50 Shades of Grey parody of Bill de Blasio and Al Sharpton, Rudy Giuliani’s recent comments about Barack Obama, the expected Republican candidate in the 11th Congressional District special election, state legislature financial disclosure forms, the refusal of Port Authority commissioners to accede to Cuomo and Chris Christie’s request to resign, his planned trip to Cuba, congestion pricing, and UFT comments asserting that the governor has shortchanged New York City schools by $2.5 billion.

Here is the full gaggle:

We also have separate clips of Cuomo’s comments on Rudy Giuliani and the 11th Congressional District special election.

Cuomo On Donovan: He’s OK (Updated)

Governor Andrew Cuomo had kind words for the expected Republican candidate in the 11th Congressional District special election.  That election will select a successor to Michael Grimm, who resigned on January 5th after pleading guilty to a federal crime.  Republican county leaders in Brooklyn and Staten Island, who select their party’s candidate in this special election, have settled on Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan.

I asked Cuomo about his relationship with Donovan, whose tenure as DA overlapped with Cuomo’s term as attorney general, and what he thinks of Donovan as a candidate.  Cuomo spoke highly of Donovan, adding that “I don’t know that I’ll be taking a position in the race.”  Cuomo’s endorsement could be influential as he won this district with 60,973 votes in November over Republican Rob Astorino’s 44,385, and an absence of Cuomo support for the Democratic candidate would be a victory for the Republican candidate.  Donovan’s professional biography includes running in 2010 as the Republican candidate for New York State Attorney General, hoping to succeed Cuomo.  Donovan lost to Democrat Eric Schneiderman.

Cuomo issued a proclamation this morning setting this special election for May 5th.

Cuomo’s full Q&A with the press is here.

Cuomo Gaggle

Governor Cuomo today spoke with the press on several separate topics, including the scheduling of a special election in the 11th Congressional District, the recently revived idea of congestion pricing for motor vehicles in Manhattan, challenges in getting legislators who are also attorneys to disclose their clients, involving judges in grand jury deliberations and possible changes to the grand jury system, Port Authority commissioners not yet tendering their resignations, a federal judge in Texas suspending the Obama administration’s planned changes in deportations and whether Cuomo has spent any additional money on criminal defense counsel since his January campaign finance filing disclosure.

Cuomo On CD11 Special Election

Governor Andrew Cuomo today set a date to set a date, sort of.  Responding to questions concerning the scheduling of a special election in the 11th Congressional District, Cuomo said that “by Friday we’ll set the date.”

The congressional seat has been empty since Michael Grimm’s resignation on January 5th, with the governor solely empowered under state law to schedule a special election to fill such a vacancy.  (A governor has limited scheduling ability however, as state law requires that such a special election be held between 70 and 80 days from the date of a formal proclamation by the governor.)  Yesterday, Senior United States District Judge Jack B. Weinstein issued an order stating that if Governor Cuomo does not schedule an election by Friday, Judge Weinstein will issue an order setting such a date.

Governor Cuomo repeated earlier assertions that he is delaying such an election in order to reduce the costs to taxpayers.  He noted that there may be a second elected office vacancy nearby soon, as NY State Assembly Member Karim Camara is expected to resign his seat and join the Cuomo administration, and suggested that special elections filling those two vacancies should occur on the same day.

Somewhat curiously, however, Cuomo hedged on when/whether Camara will resign and join the administration, saying that “we believe there may be … one more vacancy shortly” and “we’ll know that by Friday.”

Despite referencing the costs of holding an election as a reason for delay, Cuomo did not have any estimate of what such an election will cost.

NY Governor Running For President

George Pataki at a Chesire County Republican Committee dinner in Keene, NH.  2/3/15
George Pataki at a Chesire County Republican Committee dinner in Keene, NH. 2/3/15

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Yes, a New York governor. As in former governor George Pataki. He’s actively campaigning with multiple visits to New Hampshire, a planned visit to Iowa and appearances in other states. His interest? High. His chances? Exceedingly low. Here’s a look at his prospects, with the benefit of my reporting on his two recent trips to New Hampshire.

Continue reading NY Governor Running For President

Mark-Viverito State of The City

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito gave a wide ranging State of the City address on Thursday.  Speaking to an audience of approximately 300 people at the Johnson Community Center in East Harlem, Mark-Viverito called for new programs which would expand access to civil legal services, create new technology-focused programs in City high schools, as well as for expanding existing agencies and programs such as the Human Rights Commission.  In contrast to Mayor de Blasio, who did not address a topic at the center of the City’s past year, Mark-Viverito discussed the NYPD and the criminal justice system in her State of The City speech.

Here is her full State of The City Speech.

N.B.  Photos of Mark-Viverito’s State of The City are here.

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