Cuomo Uses State Tax Money For His Own Political Purposes

Not only are taxpayers funding commercials that tout Governor Cuomo's New York State and a weekly video round-up of "good news" in the state that ends up working as a "Vote For Cuomo" ad on the Internet, taxpayers are also paying for Cuomo to "stock the audience" at his speeches:

Gov. Cuomo was so determined to stock the audience of his State of the State Address earlier this year that he flew in a key attendee.

The governor’s January schedules – which were made public Monday – show that Cuomo dispatched a state police airplane to pick up U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan at LaGuardia Airport at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and transport him to Albany for the speech. 

The same aircraft brought Donovan back to LaGuardia after the speech, departing Albany at 3:50 p.m. the same day.

Donovan, according to the schedules, did not reimburse the state for the trip. He was accompanies on the King Air plane by his Senior Advisor Josh Sawislak and members of his security detail. 

Donovan, who oversaw the distribution of Hurricane Sandy recover funds for the federal government, was announced by Cuomo during his speech, which included new storm recovery and prevention initiatives.

Cuomo administration officials did not immediately comment on why the governor dispatched a plane for Donovan or how much it cost taxpayers.

“It is a legitimate question as to what was so important that the secretary be at the State of the Address,” said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Group. “Was it worth that the taxpayer expense? The public deserves an explanation for how their tax dollars are spent.”

This is the sort of thing that Cuomo would scream about if anybody else was doing it.

But since it's Sheriff Andy doing it himself, it's all good.

Just another example of why we need an independent investigation to look into Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.