Andrew Cuomo in American Crisis
On Crime:
Supports higher minimum wage for prison industry workers
Of course, in New York you get criticized for everything. There were complaints that it was an exploitation of the prison population to have inmates making hand sanitizer. I agree inmates are paid too little for the work they perform, and
I have supported a higher minimum wage for inmates. But the fact that the prisoners were already making hand sanitizer and had been for years fell on deaf ears. The fact that the prison industry program was also voluntary fell on deaf ears.
But as I have learned, an executive must make a decision that is right even if not everyone agrees. It is a difficult balance to do the right thing rather than the popular thing when your position is dependent
on the support of the people. The only path and rational I have found is to always assume that you are serving your last term and that what matters most is your legacy of success and integrity.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.64
Oct 13, 2020
On Government Reform:
COVID briefings: information, transparency, confidence
[On COVID]: We would provide unbiased factual evidence explaining the virus and its progress. A single day's briefing means little, but constant reinforcement and updated factual data could present a story that the public could follow. Besides, matters
of life and death tend to get people's attention. The main challenge for me was to communicate this data to the public in a way that would establish my credibility for providing timely information with transparency while also instilling confidence.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.24
Oct 13, 2020
On Health Care:
COVID: First governor to issue a mask mandate
I was concerned it could cause public backlash when I mandated that all New Yorkers wear masks. I was the first governor in the nation to do it, and I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of compliance. This was a significant action and I risked losing
public support. I was aware that if I ever issued an executive order that was dismissed, we would run the risk of losing control of the situation. However, once again, I felt that the people were with me.
Reopening the economy in it of itself would be complicated and contingent on the publics compliance. If reopened to quickly you could risk the risk of viral transmission,
which makes more people too sick to work and could set back the economy. If you reopen too slowly, you will have an anxious public violating government orders , increasing the viral spread and slowing the economy as well.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.246-247
Oct 13, 2020
On Health Care:
NY never "demanded" nursing homes take COVID patients
New York State never demanded that any nursing home accept a COVID-positive patient. The Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance was that a nursing home should continue to accept patients from hospitals where
COVID-19 was present , and not discriminate against a COVID-positive person. The state followed the guidance , stating that nursing homes should not reject a person "solely on the bias" of COVID 19 status.
It also applied to hospitals. We couldn't have a situation in which elderly patients who had been treated in hospitals ended up on the street because their nursing homes refused to take them back.
Nor could we have a situation in which hospitals refused to take a COVID 19 person.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.302-303
Oct 13, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Mafia stigma is painful anti-Italian American stereotype
The mafia-stigma is one of the most painful and vicious of Anti-American stereotypes. I fought it all my life as my father had done before me.
I speak about it often to the Italian-American community. The Godfather movies and the Sopranos all reinforce the stereotype of the Italian as the criminal or the thug.
Some people repeat the stereotype out of ignorance. The Times Union in Albany published a column about Fredo [the character from The Godfather], for which they were unapologetic even after the
Italian American organization publicly complained. Some people just don't appreciate how offensive stereotypes can be.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.124
Oct 13, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Instinct is to be aggressive; I am a controlling personality
I know my strengths and weaknesses. I want to get things done and be judged by making a positive difference, and I can be obsessive in that pursuit. I have disdain for the shallowness and the duplicity of political theater and no longer want to hold my
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.13
Oct 13, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Predicted Trump would lose, charge fraud, lose in court
I made a wager with my daughters that night. I often like to say to them, "I will bet you ten dollars," as a way to get their attention and excite their competitive edge. I said, "I see the future.
Donald Trump is going to lose the election and claim voter fraud as the reason he lost, claiming the mail-in ballots were fraudulent and that the Post Office mishandled the mailings.
Attorney General Barr will bring the lawsuit on behalf of the United States , and will go to the Supreme Court. Trump will believe the
Supreme Court will side with him because he will have the support of his Court appointees. He will believe it will be a repeat of Bush v. Gore."
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.328
Oct 13, 2020
On Principles & Values:
Divorced; refused to get annulment delegitimizing children
I remember a service with my daughters at a church in Mount Kisco the Sunday after passing that law. The priest gave a homily about how reprehensible marriage equality was. We got up and left in the middle of the service.
This is after we'd had to leave our previous church because the congregation gave us a hard time about being divorced. I also had refused to get an annulment that would have made my children illegitimate.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.76
Oct 13, 2020
On Tax Reform:
Limiting state tax deductibility hurts Democratic states
Trump's tax reform plan of 2017 included ending the deductibility of state and local taxes, which hurt NY more than any other state. It also hurt other Democratic states including CA, MA, MI, IL, NJ, and CT. It was the height of Republican hypocrisy.
It turns out that the party against redistribution of income is only against it if they don't benefit. SALT took tax dollars from Democratic states and gave them to Republican states. It was redistribution on steroids, and it was vicious to New York.
Source: American Crisis, by Andrew Cuomo, p.176
Oct 13, 2020
Page last updated: Dec 30, 2021