On Verge of Victory in New York, Cuomo Announces War Against Unions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6590/on_verge_of_victory_in_new_york_cuomo_announces_war_against_unions/

Wednesday 27 Oct 10 1:01 pm

By Akito Yoshikane

The latest polls suggest Democratic Andrew M. Cuomo will become New York’s next governor after next Tuesday's election. But his recent statements spurning big labor should leave many unions worried when he takes office.

Cuomo, the current state attorney general, told the New York Times on Sunday that he plans to take on labor and special interests who have incapacitated the state government with their disproportionate amount of influence. “We’ve seen the same play run for 10 years,” Cuomo tells the paper. “The governor announces the budget, unions come together, put $10 million in a bank account, run television ads against the governor. The governor’s popularity drops; the governor’s knees weaken; the governor falls to one knee, collapses, makes a deal.”


Andrew Cuomo speaks during a gubernatorial debate at Hofstra University on October 18. (Photo by MARIO TAMA/Getty Images)


According to the article, the political scion believes that labor and their campaign money “bullied previous governors and lawmakers into making bad decisions.” Instead, he hopes to strengthen his ties with the state’s business and corporate leaders who, according to him, have been marginalized by unions.

The interview was part of Cuomo’s larger policy outline for how he intends to fix a state grappling with a budget deficit, political gridlock and scandals. He hopes to do that by ending political entitlements, and his inclusion of unions in the criticism suggests that labor has recently become more of an opposition than ally. Despite pocketing campaign contributions from labor in the run-up to the election, he has increasingly strengthened his tone against unions.

FULL story at link.

[Aristus]

1. What does his dad think of this?

Mario Cuomo has been, in my estimation, one of the great liberals of the 20th Century.

Why is his son ranting against institutions that make working life so much more rewarding for working people?

[countrydad58]

2. As a New Yorker

Cuomo disappoints me. I may write in Spitzer.

[gateley]

4. How's the race -- is it close? nt

[DireStrike]

7. Pretty much no chance of Cuomo losing.

[gateley]

9. Thanks. It's hard to keep up with them all. nt

[Nite Owl]

12. He's going to win so

I'm going to vote for one of the other candidates, probably Howie Hawkins.
He isn't very clear on his stance of the gas fracking either.

[gateley]

3. Oh wow. How disappointing. He sounds like a DLCer. I'm sorry. nt

[Gabi Hayes]

10. it's even worse than that:

http://gothamschools.org/2010/05/26/the-cuomo-duffy-ticket-pro-charter-pro-mayoral-control-and-one-union-blessing/

the lt. gov. candidate (Michael Duffy) vacated his job as frickin HEAD of the NYCDOE charter school office to run with Cuomo.

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2010/03/michael-duffy-and-tweed-we-dont-listen.html



cuomo sounds as bad as any DLCer I've run across.

very very disappointing

[TheKentuckian]

5. Beyond shameful. With friends like these...

[underpants]

6. He knows he is going to win so he can keep certain people happy without doing anything

Nothing of this if you ask me.

[Brickbat]

8. Yes, god forbid the people should come together, pool their resources, and make their needs known.

Only Big Business has the right to do that.

[spanone]

11. political suicide or what?

[Nite Owl]

13. Not really

there is no other viable choice to win. The NYS GOP is totally disorganized also. It's the same as it is on the national level, where are we going to go?

[Johonny]

14. my brother is down on him, but will probably vote for him

He's talking about firing more state workers which will probably cost him his job. But the Rethug is disgusting. I generally like Andrew but think he's about to learn cutting spending in a down economy doesn't help. Why not just tax wall street?

[Better Believe It]

18. "Why not just tax wall street?" Tax his friends? He'd never get invited to the country club and

the social gatherings of the rich and powerful again.

He won't betray his class.

[unkachuck]

15. "...the governor’s knees weaken; the governor falls to one knee, collapses, makes a deal."

....that's called representing your constituents, dickhead....what kind of Democrat are you?

"...he has increasingly strengthened his tone against unions."

....Unions, the only thing that will ever make possible the rebuilding of the middle class in this jagoff corporate country, and he's against them....nice Democrat!

....Cuomo, why don't you run form president of some South American banana republic instead of helping turn the USA into one?

[littlewolf]

16. Ok I am stupid ...

1. Cuomo knows he can't lose .... so he shoots himself in the foot ... lovely ...

2. DLC= Democrat Leadership Council correct? what is wrong with them ...

[gateley]

19. Here's a Wiki piece on the DLC -- the reason many of us are down on them is

that they're pretty right leaning. They wouldn't be considered, as Paul Wellstone said, the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Leadership_Council

[Me.]

17. If He Thinks That's Going To Work In NY, He's Been Drinking Tea

[the redcoat]

20. I think we're all forgetting

I still have my money on the Rent Is Too Damn High Party.

RITDHP 2010!