Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State Address
Transcript can be found Here.
Showing posts with label Andrew Cuomo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Cuomo. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, October 18, 2010
My Take on the Debate
Carl Paladino's Campaign Manager Michael Caputo reportedly said that Jimmy McMillian (Rent Is Too Damn High) won tonight's gubernatorial debate. I would say it was a tie between all of the 3rd-party candidates. By no means am I endorsing any of the candidates, but if anyone watched the debate, all of the 3rd-party candidates provided great one-liners and gave innovative, new ideas. For example, Kristen Davis (Anti-Prohibition) thinks the state's fiscal crisis will be solved by legalizing marijuana and casinos; Charles Barron (Freedom) wants the Governor to control the MTA; Warren Redlich (Libertarian) wants the MTA to be made a private corporation.
I watched the debate recap by NY1 and WABC and the overwhelming response is that the 3rd party candidates won. I have to agree. The debate rules provided that each of the 7 candidates had equal time to state their cases. Paladino and Cuomo have dominated the airwaves and chose to hold their lines. The other candidates, I felt, said the things and the ideas, no one else wanted to say. Since they suddenly had the free airtime to promote their ideas, they put in the one-liners people would remember.
However, as each person responded to questions, the Cuomo campaign actually tweeted responses to all attacks and supplemented all ideas said during the debate in real time. In terms of new media, then, Andrew Cuomo won the debate.
Every candidate, I will admit, had good ideas. Each of them would pursue their plans in different fashions. Frankly, I like the fact that the debate wasn't limited to being just Cuomo vs. Paladino because political campaigns are supposed to be about the exchange of ideas and when candidates hear minority opinions, they have no choice but to answer to the public about the issues affecting the average Joe or Jane. Having open debates, I feel, keeps our democracy open and accountable to us in that no issue is off the table and every opinion is available to be discussed, debated, and scrutinized.
On a semi-un-related note: I was watching the debate with my parents. The camera came to Paladino and my mom saw how he was wearing a few plastic bracelets and asked about it. My father responded, jokingly, "He is out on parole." I found the line funny and I tweeted it (I have since deleted the tweet). After the debate, I saw this @ reply to me from Caputo "@seamuscampbell Paladino's bracelets were made by his daughter to remind him of her and his late son who died last year. Thanks, tho. #cuomo." I gotta admit, Caputo put me in my place and I do apologize for my insensitivity.
I watched the debate recap by NY1 and WABC and the overwhelming response is that the 3rd party candidates won. I have to agree. The debate rules provided that each of the 7 candidates had equal time to state their cases. Paladino and Cuomo have dominated the airwaves and chose to hold their lines. The other candidates, I felt, said the things and the ideas, no one else wanted to say. Since they suddenly had the free airtime to promote their ideas, they put in the one-liners people would remember.
However, as each person responded to questions, the Cuomo campaign actually tweeted responses to all attacks and supplemented all ideas said during the debate in real time. In terms of new media, then, Andrew Cuomo won the debate.
Every candidate, I will admit, had good ideas. Each of them would pursue their plans in different fashions. Frankly, I like the fact that the debate wasn't limited to being just Cuomo vs. Paladino because political campaigns are supposed to be about the exchange of ideas and when candidates hear minority opinions, they have no choice but to answer to the public about the issues affecting the average Joe or Jane. Having open debates, I feel, keeps our democracy open and accountable to us in that no issue is off the table and every opinion is available to be discussed, debated, and scrutinized.
On a semi-un-related note: I was watching the debate with my parents. The camera came to Paladino and my mom saw how he was wearing a few plastic bracelets and asked about it. My father responded, jokingly, "He is out on parole." I found the line funny and I tweeted it (I have since deleted the tweet). After the debate, I saw this @ reply to me from Caputo "@seamuscampbell Paladino's bracelets were made by his daughter to remind him of her and his late son who died last year. Thanks, tho. #cuomo." I gotta admit, Caputo put me in my place and I do apologize for my insensitivity.
Best Quotes from the NY Govenor Debate
"Businesses will leave this state quicker than Carl Paladino at a gay bar." - Kristin Davis
"The difference between the escort service I ran and the MTA is that I had one set of books and provided on-time, reliable service" - Kristin Davis
"The career politicians in Albany are the biggest whores in this state, I may be the only person on the stage able to deal with them" - Kristin Davis
"The Rent Is Too Damn High believes if you want to marry a shoe, I'll marry it" -Jimmy McMillian
NY used to have great government, it can comeback. I have most experience. Go Yankees in the meantime. -Andrew Cuomo
I'm not a career Albany politician, I'm a builder - I scare them, that's why they call me crazy. - Carl Paladino
"The difference between the escort service I ran and the MTA is that I had one set of books and provided on-time, reliable service" - Kristin Davis
"The career politicians in Albany are the biggest whores in this state, I may be the only person on the stage able to deal with them" - Kristin Davis
"The Rent Is Too Damn High believes if you want to marry a shoe, I'll marry it" -Jimmy McMillian
NY used to have great government, it can comeback. I have most experience. Go Yankees in the meantime. -Andrew Cuomo
I'm not a career Albany politician, I'm a builder - I scare them, that's why they call me crazy. - Carl Paladino
Friday, September 24, 2010
Some Numbers May Actually Lie
We all heard about how Carl Paladino is a mere 6 percentage points behind Andrew Cuomo in the race to be the next Governor of New York. Well, that was just one poll. Cuomo said that Paladino was up because of the media coverage regarding his from-behind win to becoming the the Republican nominee for Governor. Well, that was one poll.
Since the first one, by Quinnipiac University, two more have come out. One by SurveyUSA and another from Siena College. I don't know how the polling for SurveyUSA was conducted, but I do for the other two. The Quinnipiac poll surveyed "likely voters" and only gave two options (Andrew Cuomo or Carl Paladino). The Siena poll surveyed "registered voters" and gave three options (Cuomo, Paladino and Rick Lazio). What is the difference between "likely voters" and "registered voters?" Likely voters do not include first-time voters (and, may, exclude voters that did not vote in recent elections).
Below is a break-down of the results of the polling data for all of the state-wide races:
Since the first one, by Quinnipiac University, two more have come out. One by SurveyUSA and another from Siena College. I don't know how the polling for SurveyUSA was conducted, but I do for the other two. The Quinnipiac poll surveyed "likely voters" and only gave two options (Andrew Cuomo or Carl Paladino). The Siena poll surveyed "registered voters" and gave three options (Cuomo, Paladino and Rick Lazio). What is the difference between "likely voters" and "registered voters?" Likely voters do not include first-time voters (and, may, exclude voters that did not vote in recent elections).
Below is a break-down of the results of the polling data for all of the state-wide races:
| Governor | Quinnipiac | SurveyUSA | Siena |
| Andrew Cuomo | 49% | 49% | 57% |
| Carl Paladino | 43% | 40% | 24% |
| Rick Lazio | 8% (listed as "other") | 8% | |
| Undecided | 3% | 10% | |
| Attorney General | Quinnipiac | SurveyUSA | Siena |
| Eric Schniederman | 37% | 45% | |
| Dan Donovan | 36% | 32% | |
| Undecided | 27% | 23% | |
| Comptroller | Quinnipiac | SurveyUSA | Siena |
| Tom DiNapoli | 46% | 51% | |
| Harry Wilson | 30% | 25% | |
| Undecided | 24% | 25% | |
| Senate (Full Term) | Quinnipiac | SurveyUSA | Siena |
| Charles Schumer | 54% | 54% | 63% |
| Jay Townsend | 38% | 53% | 30% |
| Undecided | 3% | 6% | |
| Senate (Special) | Quinnipiac | SurveyUSA | Siena |
| Kirsten Gillibrand | 48% | 45% | 57% |
| Joe DioGuardi | 42% | 44% | 31% |
| Undecided | 4% | 12% | |
| Democratic Republican Conservative | |||
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Ground Zero Mosque Part II
Two nights ago, I posted a story arguing why people from outside the Ground Zero area (let alone Alaska, Washington, Albany, or even Westchester County) should not involve themselves in the debate regarding the "Ground Zero Mosque." Now, I will discuss the politics around the issue.
Last week, the National Republican Trust PAC produced an ad that denounced the mosque's construction. CBS and NBC refused to air it.
Later in the week, Sarah Palin endorsed New York Assistant Attorney General Ann Marie Buerkle who is running against freshman Democratic Congressman Dan Maffei for Congress in NY's 25th Congressional District which consists of the Syracuse area. Buerkle is a Tea Party favorite already. It has been hinted that Palin, then to up the ante of her endorsement, then decided to discuss what she felt to be a local issue. On Sunday, she tweeted "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate." However, as many people pointed out, "refuidate" is not a word in the English language. Palin later deleted that post and replaced it with "Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts. Pls reject it in the interest of healing." I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't find anything provoking about the Islamic center (nor can I figure out whom it is provoking since "provoke" means to provide a stimulus for a response typically of a confrontational manner). As for healing, I, for one was never hurt. Maybe it is the New York spirit in me, but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Was 9/11 a tragedy? Yes. But terrorism aims to invoke terror, if we need time to heal, the terrorists have won.
Later, the former governor humorously tweeted "'Refudiate', 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.'" English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!"
To go off on a small tangent, to be honest, Sarah Palin is no William Shakespeare. Though, I am not an expert in English linguistics, I doubt that there are a dozen writers alive today that match his skill. The brilliance of Shakespeare are the number of ententes he could make in a single sentence, how prop-use and stage direction could be determined from the text, and how his texts were written in such a way that (with a few obvious exceptions like Julius Caesar) the story lines could be used in any time period. The words that Shakespeare invented were used for these causes. It should also be noted that the words were being coined during the early development stages of the Modern English Language; so, of course, the ability to add words would be much simpler. An interesting factoid that I leaned from my English teacher in my senior year in high school is that there are roughly 100,000 words in the English language; the average college graduate knows 10,000; William Shakespeare coined 1,000 words. 1% of the English language versus the "word" "refudiate," and Sarah Palin thinks she has earned the right to compare herself to Shakespeare? Whatever.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has endorsed the proposed Islamic Center, which, I did not learn until this morning is more of a YMCA (complete with community rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, ad a pool). The center's only "mosque" element is a Muslim prayer room.
Following the tweets by Sarah Palin, Bloomberg staffer Andrea Batista Schlesigner took to Twitter herself saying "@SarahPalinUSA whose hearts? Racist hearts?" And, later "@SarahPalinUSA mind your own business." The tweets were later deleted. However, Schlesinger explained herself "Deleted post bc I regretted curt response. But the fact is, I believe this city belongs to everyone - and no one more than another."
Her next tweet said "Unlike @SarahPalinUSA, I was born here and grew up here. Was showing off to a visitor today - look how beautiful and diverse my city is." That tweet personally speaks to how I feel about New York City as well. Once, I had to take an out-of-towner around the city. On an A train, there was a cross-gendered man, I thought nothing of it. My guest, however asked me "Is that a tranny?" I matter-of-factly replied in the affirmative. My guest, however, remained uneasy for the rest of the train ride.
Schlesinger's final response to the former governor read "I felt the pain of 9/11, the trauma. I got through it by believing in my city. Not through fear and hate." That is the New York spirit. I see crazy people on the subway singing randomly "Adam at a party, Adam at a party, Adam at a party, Adam at a cel-e-brat-ion" (as was the case with my commute yesterday morning) and I think to myself "I love New York." We realize that there are much bigger things with which to concern ourselves than petty disagreements, divisions, and judgments.
Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser told Politico's Maggie Haberman, in response to Schlesinger's tweets "Andrea was only speaking for herself, she has the right to her own opinions." Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said "In terms of her [Schlesinger] comments about Sarah Palin, I don't agree at all. I don't think Sarah Palin is remotely racist." Then, the mayor came to Schlesinger's defense saying that as to Palin's comments about the Islamic Center, he "couldn't disagree more."
Republican NY gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio lately has been attacking his Democratic New York opponent Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for not investigating the funding of the Islamic Center. Cuomo has claimed that he would not investigate based on mere here-say out of respect for freedom of religion. However, Cuomo spokesman Rich Bamberger said "Anyone who has evidence of wrongdoing [as per the funding sources] should send it to us [the Attorney General's Office] and we will review it." Still Lazio is calling the center Cuomo's "trophy mosque"
Interestingly, NY1 did an interview with the Islamic Center's developer, Sharif El-Gamal, and he said that the reason for building the center was, in fact, to spite the terrorists that attacked while highlighting New York's diversity and community. "What happened that day affected me personally, affected my city. I was one of the first people that was down there at 9/11 and for 48 hours I was there helping my heroes, helping the firefighters, the policemen and I was giving water to everyone. What happened that day was a personal attack on me as a New Yorker. Something that I will never forget, never forgive those terrorists for what they did. And those terrorists did not act in the name of Islam. [my emphasis added]" The reason for the Islamic Center, from what I can read from that quote, is to denounce radical Islam and how Islam is a mainstream religion that does not wish to do harm against others. What place better than New York City, two blocks from the World Trade Center, to give the middle-finger to the terrorists by personifying in a building what we believe in as a nation, a city, and a society?
I reiterate, if just because it will irk the terrorists to end because us Americans live in a pluralistic and diverse society and the Islamic Center will be proof-positive of that, I support the project.
Last week, the National Republican Trust PAC produced an ad that denounced the mosque's construction. CBS and NBC refused to air it.
Later in the week, Sarah Palin endorsed New York Assistant Attorney General Ann Marie Buerkle who is running against freshman Democratic Congressman Dan Maffei for Congress in NY's 25th Congressional District which consists of the Syracuse area. Buerkle is a Tea Party favorite already. It has been hinted that Palin, then to up the ante of her endorsement, then decided to discuss what she felt to be a local issue. On Sunday, she tweeted "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate." However, as many people pointed out, "refuidate" is not a word in the English language. Palin later deleted that post and replaced it with "Peace-seeking Muslims, pls understand Ground Zero mosque is UNNECESSARY provocation; it stabs hearts. Pls reject it in the interest of healing." I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't find anything provoking about the Islamic center (nor can I figure out whom it is provoking since "provoke" means to provide a stimulus for a response typically of a confrontational manner). As for healing, I, for one was never hurt. Maybe it is the New York spirit in me, but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Was 9/11 a tragedy? Yes. But terrorism aims to invoke terror, if we need time to heal, the terrorists have won.
Later, the former governor humorously tweeted "'Refudiate', 'misunderestimate,' 'wee-wee'd up.'" English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!"
To go off on a small tangent, to be honest, Sarah Palin is no William Shakespeare. Though, I am not an expert in English linguistics, I doubt that there are a dozen writers alive today that match his skill. The brilliance of Shakespeare are the number of ententes he could make in a single sentence, how prop-use and stage direction could be determined from the text, and how his texts were written in such a way that (with a few obvious exceptions like Julius Caesar) the story lines could be used in any time period. The words that Shakespeare invented were used for these causes. It should also be noted that the words were being coined during the early development stages of the Modern English Language; so, of course, the ability to add words would be much simpler. An interesting factoid that I leaned from my English teacher in my senior year in high school is that there are roughly 100,000 words in the English language; the average college graduate knows 10,000; William Shakespeare coined 1,000 words. 1% of the English language versus the "word" "refudiate," and Sarah Palin thinks she has earned the right to compare herself to Shakespeare? Whatever.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has endorsed the proposed Islamic Center, which, I did not learn until this morning is more of a YMCA (complete with community rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, ad a pool). The center's only "mosque" element is a Muslim prayer room.
Following the tweets by Sarah Palin, Bloomberg staffer Andrea Batista Schlesigner took to Twitter herself saying "@SarahPalinUSA whose hearts? Racist hearts?" And, later "@SarahPalinUSA mind your own business." The tweets were later deleted. However, Schlesinger explained herself "Deleted post bc I regretted curt response. But the fact is, I believe this city belongs to everyone - and no one more than another."
Her next tweet said "Unlike @SarahPalinUSA, I was born here and grew up here. Was showing off to a visitor today - look how beautiful and diverse my city is." That tweet personally speaks to how I feel about New York City as well. Once, I had to take an out-of-towner around the city. On an A train, there was a cross-gendered man, I thought nothing of it. My guest, however asked me "Is that a tranny?" I matter-of-factly replied in the affirmative. My guest, however, remained uneasy for the rest of the train ride.
Schlesinger's final response to the former governor read "I felt the pain of 9/11, the trauma. I got through it by believing in my city. Not through fear and hate." That is the New York spirit. I see crazy people on the subway singing randomly "Adam at a party, Adam at a party, Adam at a party, Adam at a cel-e-brat-ion" (as was the case with my commute yesterday morning) and I think to myself "I love New York." We realize that there are much bigger things with which to concern ourselves than petty disagreements, divisions, and judgments.
Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser told Politico's Maggie Haberman, in response to Schlesinger's tweets "Andrea was only speaking for herself, she has the right to her own opinions." Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said "In terms of her [Schlesinger] comments about Sarah Palin, I don't agree at all. I don't think Sarah Palin is remotely racist." Then, the mayor came to Schlesinger's defense saying that as to Palin's comments about the Islamic Center, he "couldn't disagree more."
Republican NY gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio lately has been attacking his Democratic New York opponent Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for not investigating the funding of the Islamic Center. Cuomo has claimed that he would not investigate based on mere here-say out of respect for freedom of religion. However, Cuomo spokesman Rich Bamberger said "Anyone who has evidence of wrongdoing [as per the funding sources] should send it to us [the Attorney General's Office] and we will review it." Still Lazio is calling the center Cuomo's "trophy mosque"
Interestingly, NY1 did an interview with the Islamic Center's developer, Sharif El-Gamal, and he said that the reason for building the center was, in fact, to spite the terrorists that attacked while highlighting New York's diversity and community. "What happened that day affected me personally, affected my city. I was one of the first people that was down there at 9/11 and for 48 hours I was there helping my heroes, helping the firefighters, the policemen and I was giving water to everyone. What happened that day was a personal attack on me as a New Yorker. Something that I will never forget, never forgive those terrorists for what they did. And those terrorists did not act in the name of Islam. [my emphasis added]" The reason for the Islamic Center, from what I can read from that quote, is to denounce radical Islam and how Islam is a mainstream religion that does not wish to do harm against others. What place better than New York City, two blocks from the World Trade Center, to give the middle-finger to the terrorists by personifying in a building what we believe in as a nation, a city, and a society?
I reiterate, if just because it will irk the terrorists to end because us Americans live in a pluralistic and diverse society and the Islamic Center will be proof-positive of that, I support the project.
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