ANDREW CUOMO BECOMES NEW YORK'S 56TH GOVERNOR

Albany, N.Y--  After taking the oath of office during a low-key inauguration in Albany's State Capitol today, Governor Andrew Cuomo said his administration will include the people of New York in a "nonpartisan" plan for government reform.

Cuomo, the son of former Governor Mario Cuomo, took the oath of office from State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman and said that the low-key ceremony is fitting for a government facing grave challenges, primarily a huge budget deficit.

"The decisions we make today will determine the state our children have tomorrow," said the new governor.  Cuomo also says he won't stop about 900 layoffs of state workers that were ordered by former Governor David Paterson. The layoffs began on Saturday.


"(Cuomo) said he wanted to come in and change things, we wanted to help him, we want to work with him," said CSEA president Danny Donohue.  "We started off by getting a war chest to fight us on it. That's a great way to make friends and influence people," Donohue said in a December 12 television interview.

And Donohue makes it very clear, he considers the war chest issue that Cuomo was raising from the business community to fight unions an insult to every public employee. Donohue is vowing to fight for every worker who lost a job and he intends to convince the public whose to blame when things go wrong.

Outlining a "blueprint for change" that includes a new partnership between the executive branch and state legislators, a cap on taxes and the consolidations of local governments, Cuomo said his administration aims to follow through on long-recommended accomplishments.

The governor remarked at length on the opulence of the state's 19th-century Capitol building, which was completed over a quarter-century for the cost of $25 million, was a statement on past New Yorkers' belief in the grandeur of government. He said that his planned reforms could restore a similar faith in state government.

Robert Duffy
(photo by Ove Overmyer)

Out-going Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy was sworn in as the lieutenant governor, Thomas DiNapoli was sworn into his second term as state comptroller and Eric Schneiderman was sworn in as state attorney general.

Cuomo's aides say all of the inauguration costs are being paid for with campaign funds.

The 175 attendees include former Governors David Paterson and Mario Cuomo, former First Lady Matilda Cuomo and Senate leaders Dean Skelos and John Sampson. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has religious observances and sent a representative.

Earlier this morning, Cuomo and his administration held their first cabinet meeting to look at the state's problems, including the $10 billion budget deficit.

"We're going to get right to work, day one. We have a team assembled and we'll start to lay out this week and we'll talk a little bit about the state of the state and we'll talk a little bit about the next weeks coming up," said the new governor as he left the meeting.

"It feels great and you can see where Governor Cuomo is going," said Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy. "The very first day in office, we have a staff meeting to meet with our team and talk about the future. It's a new year and a new day in the State of New York and we're looking forward to it."

Cuomo was given his first official oath privately at 10 p.m. in the executive mansion.  The oath became effective just after midnight.

Also, large concrete barriers that surrounded the state Capitol since the period after the September 11th terrorist attacks have been removed, in another symbolic gesture to represent a new era of transparency in Albany.