Andrew is telling the State Senate to get their act together and end the bickering and dsyfunction, this state is in trouble and we need all hands on deck!!! andy
The Daily Politics
By Celeste Katz
Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo this morning made his strongest comments to date about the ongoing state Senate election dispute and his worries that it could bottle up his agenda.
Our Glenn Blain reports:
Cuomo, appearing on WOR's "The John Gambling Show," also sidestepped a question on whether he believed a Republican-controlled Senate would be more helpful to him than one run by the Democrats.
"I want a functioning state Senate," Cuomo told Gambling. "These are very big choices that we have to make, and we need to actually act, so I need a body that performs and a body that can function."
Control of the state Senate hinges on three races that remain too close to call and won't likely be settled anytime soon. With thousands of absentee ballots remaining to be opened and numerous court challenges expected to be filed, activists on both sides concede that the recount battles could stretch into January.
Cuomo said the Senate needs to function to deal with the state's crippling budget woes.
"These are about numbers," Cuomo said. "There's no Democratic or Republican philosophical dispute here. The numbers have to balance and the numbers now don't balance. So long as you bring reality to the situation, there's not a lot to argue about on the numbers. We're looking at a deficit of about $9 billion. It's painful, but it is also undeniable."
Cuomo, who appeared on WOR about a half-hour after Gov. Paterson made his weekly appearance on Gambling's program, said he agreed with his predecessor that he has a greater leverage against unions and special interest groups because he campaigned on the issue of spending cuts and no new taxes.
"That's the mandate that I bring to office," Cuomo said. "That was the basis upon which I was elected. That's what I told the people of the state I was going to do and that is what I am going to do."
Cuomo also said he would oppose holding the federal trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Manhattan and would not make a decision on the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling until he has more "facts" about the environmental consequences.
Cuomo, appearing on WOR's "The John Gambling Show," also sidestepped a question on whether he believed a Republican-controlled Senate would be more helpful to him than one run by the Democrats.
"I want a functioning state Senate," Cuomo told Gambling. "These are very big choices that we have to make, and we need to actually act, so I need a body that performs and a body that can function."
Control of the state Senate hinges on three races that remain too close to call and won't likely be settled anytime soon. With thousands of absentee ballots remaining to be opened and numerous court challenges expected to be filed, activists on both sides concede that the recount battles could stretch into January.
Cuomo said the Senate needs to function to deal with the state's crippling budget woes.
"These are about numbers," Cuomo said. "There's no Democratic or Republican philosophical dispute here. The numbers have to balance and the numbers now don't balance. So long as you bring reality to the situation, there's not a lot to argue about on the numbers. We're looking at a deficit of about $9 billion. It's painful, but it is also undeniable."
Cuomo, who appeared on WOR about a half-hour after Gov. Paterson made his weekly appearance on Gambling's program, said he agreed with his predecessor that he has a greater leverage against unions and special interest groups because he campaigned on the issue of spending cuts and no new taxes.
"That's the mandate that I bring to office," Cuomo said. "That was the basis upon which I was elected. That's what I told the people of the state I was going to do and that is what I am going to do."
Cuomo also said he would oppose holding the federal trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Manhattan and would not make a decision on the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling until he has more "facts" about the environmental consequences.
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