Gov. Cuomo preps State of the State address

On ethics, Cuomo called for limiting but not eliminating state legislators’ outside incomes, though it’s not clear whether he’s calling to force further disclosure about sources.

If that has persuaded Cuomo to back away from public school policy and leave it to the Regents, that would please some observers. “What else did you think that I was going to give to you?”

Cuomo says during his State of the State address Wednesday the state will add 100,000 permanent affordable housing units, 6,000 new supportive housing beds and 1,000 emergency shelter beds. And this year, two new leaders took the stage for the State of the State, as the governor proposed reforms, trying to ensure it would not happen again.

To quell the unrest, Cuomo launched a task force review of the state’s Common Core program that culminated with a 51-page report recommending NY develop its own set of learning standards, cut down on testing and hold off on using student test scores to evaluate teachers for at least four years. He told reporters that Cuomo ignores the needs of poor New Yorkers while painting a “flowery” vision of the state.

“I have kicked myself every day that I didn’t spend more time with my father”, Cuomo said.

Cuomo also proposed $100 million to create “community schools” that would offer additional support services, $807 million to expand prekindergarten and a $200 tax credit for teachers who pay out of pocket for classroom expenses.

The speech, which also served as a budget presentation, was light on details of how the governor will pay for all of his programs.

The governor’s office says it preserves the tax advantage for small businesses that would otherwise disappear since corporate tax rates were lowered effective January 1.

Cuomo, a Democrat, has consistently presented himself as a responsible steward of the state’s finances, capping spending at under 2 percent since he took office in 2011.

Government reform groups were heartened by the governor’s ethics agenda. “Intimate relationships matter”, he said.

“That’s been the problem all along”, Bartoletti said.

Congress also has a 15 percent income limit, but state legislative leaders have opposed any limit on their outside income – which is allowed in the state constitution. “They need substantial repairs”, said Mannix. (Money) is owed to schools under the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.

Cuomo is combining for the first time his annual State of the State address with his executive budget proposal.

The 23-year-old was captured in a video that has gone viral giving a homeless man his shirt on the New York Subway.

The Governor kept his cool.

“Okay assemblyman, have a seat assemblyman”, Cuomo said before Barron was escorted out by another lawmaker. “Everybody heard you. Everybody heard you”.

After a few tense moments, Barron left the convention hall. “And I just want her to know she was such an inspiration to me”.

It should be noted that Cuomo’s proposed budget is just chump change, compared to New York’s $3 billion corrections funds. Whereas rhetoric will soar on a political side for the next couple of days over some of the proposals, I am excited to finally have a plan in front of us to evaluate and negotiate for the benefit of the people I represent in the 108th Assembly District and throughout New York State.