CUOMO USHERS IN NEW ERA; UNIONS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

Albany, N.Y.-- Declaring New York State at a crucial crossroads, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo outlined during his first State of the State Address an action plan to fundamentally transform New York State’s government and economy by getting the state’s fiscal house in order, radically redesigning our governmental structures and operations, and restoring integrity and performance to state government. Governor Cuomo noted that the decisions we make now will impact our State for decades to come.

Gov. Cuomo will address the deficit
without raising taxes or borrowing.
(photo provided)

“We must turn this crisis into an opportunity to fundamentally remake our state into the progressive capital of the nation,” Governor Cuomo said in his message to the legislature. “We must seize this moment to build a new New York for future generations.”

Governor Cuomo promised his 2011-12 budget proposal would address the deficit without raising taxes or borrowing. Instead, he would cap state spending by reducing the number of state agencies, authorities and commissions by 20 percent. He would put a freeze on state workers’ salaries and cut the cost of the Medicaid health care program. Cuomo's address was what most lawmakers and pundits expected, echoing the dire straits of state spending and at the same time added humorous bits of personality that shined from time to time.

New York's public employee unions, including CSEA can expect a better relationship with new Governor, Andrew Cuomo, rather than one they had with David Paterson. To put it mildly, Paterson's leadership legacy will be one of failure and one that showed a complete inability to problem solve and work with the state workforce.

CSEA Communications Director, Stephen Madarasz put it this way: "There was just general incompetence in the way that they were conducting themselves in office. There was a leadership vacuum, in the sense that the governor was spending more time talking to the media than he was actually trying to govern. And there was a tremendous credibility gap that emerged, not just with CSEA, but with many others as well... where the governor would tell you one thing, and then go off and do something else."

An example of that could be the roughly 900 state worker layoffs that Paterson ordered last month. The unions maintain that they had a signed, legal binding agreement with Paterson, in which he promised there would be no layoffs before the end of his term. Though the order was given in early December, the jobs were eliminated at the end of the day on December 31 - at precisely the same time that Paterson's tenure as governor ended.

Cuomo shifts site to signal a new era

In the first State of the State message open to the public and the first using internet-age technology to deliver the presentation, Governor Cuomo said he would open up government to the public and work in partnership with all stakeholders to address the serious fiscal challenges facing New York State and its local governments.


People filing in to the Empire State
Plaza Convention Center Jan. 5.
(photo: Albany Times Union)

 The new Governor delivered a well-tempered and sometimes funny oration in his State of the State address in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center instead of the ornate Capitol chamber, breaking with 86 years of tradition.

"This innovation has two points," Cuomo said in an earlier interview. "Let's invite the people of the state -- because this is about reconnecting with the people of the state, building trust and building a relationship -- and let's introduce a more productive partnership with the Legislature."

Traditionally, the speech is given to an audience packed with legislators and the judges of the Court of Appeals as well as top figures from around the state, including religious leaders, mayors, lobbyists and Congress. Roughly 1,000 tickets for the event were made available to the public in a lottery.  The hall holds nearly 2,000 people.

The State of the State offered the governor a new platform to outline his agenda before the Legislature while New York residents were sitting on the edge of their seats. Hugh Carey used his 1975 address to declare "the days of wine and roses are over," while David Paterson declared a "winter of reckoning" in 2009 as he urged lawmakers to improve "self-governance."
 

Most labor folks are not

encouraged by what is to come.

(photo provided)

  For months, Cuomo has sounded similar themes of austerity and decayed public confidence in state government; his speech nailed those sentiments. He spoke of the need to "pull back the lens a little bit. We have to get people believing in government again."

Two main themes of the address focused on establishing a team to cut unfunded mandates imposed on local governments and school districts and creating a commission to cut government agencies and authorities by 20 percent.

He specifically proposed merging the three agencies that regulate insurance, banking and consumer affairs, saying that would save money and also better protect investors and consumers.

CSEA president Danny Donohue responds to State of the State

"The governor offered many ideas which we will consider carefully. We will agree with some and disagree with others. Where we disagree, there will be healthy debate to find ways to work together. It won't be easy, but good government never is."

Fight for jobs looming in the North Country; CSEA prison workers targeted

Cuomo talked about reforming the state's juvenile incarceration system, which he said is cruel and ineffective. He said he understands the needs for jobs in upstate New York, but "an incarceration program is not an employment program. ... If people need jobs, let's give people jobs. Don't put some people in prison to give other people jobs." 

Predictably, these comments by Cuomo do not sit very well with CSEA Statewide Officers and our members.  CSEA will always fight for every job and will use every tool necessary to protect these workers and their families.

Cuomo did not directly address closing adult prisons, but the jobs prisons provide is one of the reasons many of them were located in the North Country in the first place, and one of the arguments used against closing them as the state inmate population shrinks. However, CSEA representatives told a local newspaper in Essex County and in the North Country area that they remain optimistic that Cuomo will do the right thing.

CSEA already feels a difference with Cuomo; "right-sizing" the way to go

Madarasz says the CSEA is already noticing a difference with Cuomo. The new governor has been in touch with the CSEA and PEF several times, although he's been in office for less than a week. This is a terrific sign.

"What we're encouraged about is, so far, what we've heard from Governor Cuomo is a willingness to try to work constructively with us, and to try to find common ground."

Madarasz particularly liked the bit Cuomo included in his January 3 inauguration speech about "right-sizing" state government.

"If, by that, he means we need to have the right number of people to do the jobs, and they need to be capable and qualified, not simply there for political patronage... we certainly agree with that. We've used that term ourselves," Madarasz explains.

Many of the cost-saving proposals that the unions plan to pitch to Cuomo could be classified as "right-sizing" moves, according to Madarasz, "...like [cutting back on] excessive use of outside contractors, and political consultants... or looking at our spending practices on things like prescription drugs, or the excessive use of temporary employees hired through temp agencies, where you pay a premium for having those people on the job, and literally keeping them in temporary positions for years and years on end."
 

Steve Madarasz introduces
Danny Donohue at the
 March For Main Street Rally
on Jan. 7, 2009.
(photo provided)

Another previously-proposed idea is continuing the offer of early retirement incentives and eliminating some state positions through attrition.



Madarasz says CSEA remains optimistic about its ability to negotiate with the governor and looks forward to moving the state out of this logistical and fiscal nightmare called "Albany."  Madarasz is also heartened by the fact that Cuomo is indicating he wants to talk about the wage freeze, and other options, at the bargaining table and not in the media.

"That is a very important distinction for us, versus trying to impose something from above that might not even be legal," Madarasz points out. "By no means do we think that this is going to be easy going forward. We fully recognize that there are some serious challenges. We certainly are going to have a lot of disagreements with the governor, but there many things that we probably will be supportive on. You're always optimistic with a new administration, because you do have a fresh start."