Andrew Cuomo in 2020 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Many building projects; all on budget
We're building more renewable energy projects than any state in the United States of America. We're doing the largest development of offshore wind in the western hemisphere off Long Island right now. We did a new Rochester Airport, a new
Syracuse Airport, a new Albany Airport--all on time and all on budget. And we balanced budgets all in the middle of it. Everyone in this room pays a lower tax rate today than the day I was elected.
You go to build an airport, you make people uncomfortable during the process, maybe you're going to be over budget, maybe you're going to run into a problem. It's risky, politicians avoid risk. It's expensive and I believe it actually makes you
money long term and costs you money not to do, but short-term it's expensive. I really do believe you don't have an alternative. If we don't do these changes and grow, our children inherit a different New York than we inherited.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
On Budget & Economy:
I'm not in business of papering over problems with money
I believe we have the most active state government in modern history. And we're spending less money than other state governments. How can it be? How can you be spending less and doing more? Because you can scrutinize the process and be more efficient
and be more effective like companies are every day. You have to remain competitive and you have to remain efficient and effective and the answer isn't always more money. Money tries to paper over the problem, and I'm not a papering over business.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
On Civil Rights:
Prosecute violent hate as domestic terrorism
This issue of the anti-Semitism, but broader than just anti-Semitism, the hate, the anger, the division is the most frightening issue that keeps me up at night. I hate when government says, 'we offer thoughts and prayers.' Thoughts and prayers.
Yeah, it's not your job. You're government. You don't do thoughts and prayers. You do something. I want to propose a domestic terrorism law because these people are domestic terrorists and I want them prosecuted that way.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
On Crime:
Bail reform is right, but complicated
Bail reform is right. You have a criminal justice system that basically says now you get arrested, if you can make bail you're released, if you can't make bail you sit in Rikers for two years and get abused until you have your day in court. Bail is
predicated on wealth. That's not justice. Changing the system, which we started to do, is complicated and then has a number of ramifications. There's no doubt this is still a work in progress and there are other changes that have to be made.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
On Technology:
Maximize mass transportation & add capacity
We have to minimize vehicles and maximize public transportation, mass transportation. You can't do one without the other. You can't say to people, "Don't take your vehicle," unless you have a mass transit system that they believe they can get on that's
efficient, effective and safe. You can't have one without the other. You have to do both. So today we're announcing a plan to add mass transit capacity and further New York City economic development.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021