ALBANY — In his first two months in office, Mayor Bill de Blasio has found himself repeatedly at odds with New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo. And at every turn, Governor Cuomo has not only stymied the mayor, but also seized the moment for his own gain.As the mayor has pushed for a tax increase on New York City’s wealthiest residents, the governor has turned the tables and talked up his desire to cut taxes. When the mayor proposed raising the minimum wage in the city, the governor derided the idea as illogical.Even the mundane municipal matter of snow removal became fodder for a Cuomo tweak; at one point, the governor seemed to imply that Mr. de Blasio had not stocked up on enough salt to respond to a recent blizzard.Mr. Cuomo took advantage again this week, styling himself as a champion of charter schools just as Mr. de Blasio took steps to curb their expansion. On Tuesday, he displayed an unusual verve in whipping up a crowd of thousands of charter school parents and students who gathered for a rally outside the Capitol.A Cuomo aide was so eager to show off the size of the crowd that he encouraged a news photographer to climb through a bathroom window to capture a shot of the gathering from above.A few blocks away, speaking at a cavernous 19th-century armory, Mr. de Blasio recited his oft-repeated argument for a tax increase to fund universal prekindergarten and after-school programs.In each case, as he batted away some of the mayor’s grandest plans, the governor, who is up for re-election this year, has used their divergent views to burnish his own political brand, as a moderate Democrat and tax cutter. And he has offered what amounts to a master class in political gamesmanship, turning the mayor’s arguments upside down and boxing him out of the headlines.
Cuomo may be outboxing de Blasio, garnering the better headlines and speaking to the bigger rallies, but it hasn't translated to better job performance ratings for him - he enjoys the lowest ratings of his time as governor.
Now lookie here...El Duomo Cuomo only can pull off these "brilliant" political maneuvers, or appear to do so due to support of "the media". Conversely...the message to Mr. Mayor from "the media" so far has been-"we will make every day you are in office a living nightmare if you dont play ball with your masters"...Anotherwords, we will crush you like an ant under a steel boot if you dont get with the program". Just one small example was the the "Speedgate" issue-a completely contrived bit of bull , which created more heaps of bull critiicism toward Mr Mayor. That went on for a week or more. Just like "all ATRs are failed teachers"...DeB can quickly be portrayed as a clown any time the big swinging dicks choose to do so...Ya know what kiddies...Mr. Mayor will play ball...or be squished like a bug by the Bloombergs,Murdochs,Lord Blankfeins ` hedgies of the world...
ReplyDelete...that doesnt mean its all hopeless...look at the parental protests across the state...El Duomo Cuomo is watching the poll numbers...u bet...
ReplyDeleteDeB needs to keep up a fight or lose the backing of his constituents. He has been branded as the progressive mayor and he has to live up to the branding, whether it is true or not.
ReplyDeleteGo for it DeB and we will stand behind you.