Bailout Bill
Mayor de Blasio can’t conceive of solutions to New York City’s problems that don’t involve massive federal assistance.December 11, 2020New York mayor Bill de Blasio remains unable to conceive of any real solution to the city’s bleak fiscal and economic position short of a massive bailout from the federal government—ideally in conjunction with a massive tax hike on the rich.
“Obviously, the number-one thing we’re fighting for is a stimulus,” de Blasio told business owners in an address to the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. As a measure of how few solutions he has to offer, he reviewed the kinds of bailouts that the government might provide, and in what priority he’d prefer them. “I think a stimulus should absolutely involve direct relief for small business,” he said. “I think that’s going to be tough to achieve perhaps in the first stimulus, the one that’s being debated right now. I think there could be some, but probably limited. I think the bigger question is when President Biden comes into office with a goal of a much more substantial stimulus, how we can all work together to push for a much more real direct relief to small business to tide folks over.”
The mayor’s zeal for federal help stands in sharp contrast with his apparent indifference to doing what only New York can do for itself—make its own business climate more promising, starting with restoring public order. In September, the Partnership for New York City, also representing local business interests, albeit on a larger scale than the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, sent de Blasio a letter expressing concern about the city’s apparent lack of determination to get the economy humming again, and noting the deterioration of public order on streets and subways. The Partnership suggested that the mayor’s failure to address “concerns about security and the livability of our communities” would undermine New York’s position as “a thriving global center of commerce, innovation and opportunity.”
When asked for a response to the letter, de Blasio deflected its main point, instead calling on the Partnership to “use your power and influence in Albany to help us get long-term borrowing. You say you want to help New York City recover, the thing we need immediately is the long-term borrowing capacity so that we can, in fact, bring back some of the services that have been cut back because of the fiscal crisis.” De Blasio’s request for borrowing power—essentially, to issue debt to fund operations—absent strict financial controls or the implementation of a real savings plan would be tantamount to giving a compulsive spender a new credit card.
De Blasio simply cannot be trusted to borrow responsibly. In seven years as mayor, he has expanded city government broadly, increasing spending at three times the rate of inflation. And what are the “services that have been cut back because of the fiscal crisis?” The mayor has not laid off a single city employee; on the contrary, he has made it clear that he intends to preserve every municipal job, even though laying off workers in April would have shifted them onto the federal rolls at a time when Washington had made available trillions of dollars of support for the newly unemployed.
The mayor’s other solution to closing the city’s $9 billion loss in revenue is a massive tax hike on the wealthy, who “have literally gotten richer while everyone else is suffering.” He also calls for a “reconsideration” of the city’s inert stock transfer tax, which levies a small fee on every stock transaction but has been fully rebated since 1981.
De Blasio is incapable of recognizing that old ways of doing business may be gone for good. Goldman Sachs Asset Management has announced that it will relocate to Florida, which could mean hundreds, or possibly thousands, of high-paying jobs leaving the New York region. NASDAQ and the NYSE have indicated that they would be willing to leave the area, too, if stock transfer taxes are imposed in New Jersey. “Proximity to New York City is no longer relevant in today’s trading environment,” said Hope Jarkowski, a top NYSE executive.
More than 300,000 New York City households have filed change-of-address forms with the Post Office indicating out-of-state destinations. Many more are eyeing the exits. The mayor can bluster about how tough “real” New Yorkers are, but real New Yorkers are also unsentimental and willing to cut their losses. Given de Blasio’s unwillingness to face these realities, it will likely fall to a new mayor to stem New York’s slide.
BREAKING NEWS: Joe Biden considering Andrew Cuomo for Attorney General: NY Governor revealed to be on President-elect's shortlist for top job alongside Merrick Garland and Senator Doug Jones
- Andrew Cuomo revealed to be on Biden's shortlist alongside Merrick Garland, Sally Yates and Senator Doug Jones
- Biden is known to be fond of Cuomo, and the pair have been friends for decades
- Cuomo previously served as New York State Attorney General from 2007 -2010
- He also has experience serving in the federal government; he was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton Administration
- However, its unclear whether Biden allies would be satisfied with Cuomo; Rev Al Sharpton is pushing Biden to choose a black Attorney General
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is one of several contenders under consideration by President-elect Joe Biden for the role of attorney general, a person with knowledge of the search process told the Associated Press on Friday.
The other three contender are reported to be outgoing Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates,
The Associated Press reported earlier in the week that Jones, who lost his Senate seat last month, and Garland, who was spurned by Republicans four years ago for a spot on the Supreme Court, had emerged as the two front-runners in the search process.
However, Biden and Cuomo have known one another for decades, and the President-elect is said to be extremely fond of the New York Governor.
Spokespeople for Cuomo did not immediately return emails seeking comment Friday.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is one of several contenders under consideration by President-elect Joe Biden for the role of attorney general, a person with knowledge of the search process said Friday
, Biden and Cuomo have known one another for decades, and the President-elect is said to be extremely fond of the New York Governor. They are pictured together in 2016
It was not clear to what extent the disclosure this week that federal prosecutors were investigating the finances of Biden's son, Hunter, might have scrambled the attorney general search process since the person who is ultimately picked would inherit the probe, assuming it remains active next month.
It was also not immediately clear how seriously Cuomo was being considered or how any nomination of him would be greeted by either Republicans, given Cuomo's antagonistic relationship with President Donald Trump, or by civil rights activists who have encouraged Biden to build a diverse cabinet.
Rev. Al Sharpton, who was among advocates who met with Biden on Tuesday on the subject of diversity and civil rights, told reporters he had encouraged Biden to select a black attorney general but gave him room to select someone of another race as long as they had a background in civil rights.
Cuomo has been asked in recent weeks about his interest in the attorney general spot. Just this week, he said in a public radio interview in New York, 'I have no intention to run for president or vice president, or go to the administration.'
However, he said the attorney general job 'is really critical, especially now.'
A former state attorney general and Housing and Urban Development secretary in the Clinton administration, Cuomo has been governor of New York since 2011 and has been the public face of the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is also said to be on the shortlist
Outgoing Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is also having his name touted by insiders
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is also being considered for the job
Former Cuomo staffer says the New York governor sexually harassed her 'for years'
A woman who was once an advisor to Andrew Cuomo said the New York governor sexually harassed her for years.
"Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years," said Lindsey Boylan, who worked for him between 2015 and 2018.
Boylan, who is a Democratic candidate for Manhattan Borough President, was an aide to Cuomo, as well as the deputy secretary for economic development, according to her LinkedIn profile.
In a series of tweets last week, Boylan called Cuomo's office the "most toxic team environment," saying that people don't come forward because they're afraid of the repercussions.
A former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet on Sunday that the New York official sexually harassed her for years while she was employed in his office.
"Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years," said Lindsey Boylan, who worked for the governor between 2015 and 2018. Boylan was an advisor to Cuomo, as well as the deputy secretary for economic development, according to her LinkedIn profile.
"Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation?" she tweeted. "This was the way for years."
—Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) December 13, 2020
"Not knowing what to expect what's the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it," she added. "No one. And I *know* I am not the only woman."
In a series of tweets last week, Boylan called Cuomo's office the "most toxic team environment," saying that people don't come forward because they're afraid of the repercussions.
"If people weren't deathly afraid of him, they'd be saying the same thing and you'd already know the stories," she said, adding that she's heard from others who've said similar things about working for him. Boylan did not give any names or more specific information last week when she called the office "toxic."
Boylan said she goes to therapy to work out the trauma she's experiencing from her three years in the governor's office.
Around the same time that Boylan worked for Cuomo, the lowest-paying jobs at his office belonged largely and disproportionately to women, according to a 2015 investigation done by Politico. Cuomo at the time had 96 women working in his office who had the lowest-paying jobs, while 52 men occupied the highest-paid positions with the most decision-making power.
In her former role, Boylan wrote on her website that she "worked on some of the biggest issues facing New Yorkers, from helping to pass $15 minimum wage and paid family leave to developing workforce programs, creating jobs, and investing in small businesses."
"I've worked hard my whole life. Hustled - fake it till you make it style," she tweeted last week. "That environment is beyond toxic. I'm still unwrapping it years later in therapy!"
Cuomo, part of a longstanding New York political family - his father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, served for three terms, from 1983 to 1994 - was first elected governor in 2010 and is currently in his third term. Before his election as governor, he was the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001 under then-President Bill Clinton and served as New York's Attorney General from 2007 to 2010.
Recent speculation has swirled around Cuomo possibly joining President-elect Joe Biden's administration as attorney general, a prospect that Boylan firmly warned against.
"There are fewer things more scary than giving this man, who exists without ethics, even more control," she wrote on Twitter. "I saw how he wielded power for years. He takes advantage of people, including me. I hope @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris don't do this."
Cuomo, who had received widespread praise this year for his coronavirus response, has touted himself as a progressive governor, pushing for the advancement of women. In January 2020, the governor signed a bill requiring an investigation of the number of women sitting on domestic and foreign boards that do business in New York.
"From new pay equity laws to strongest-in-the-nation sexual harassment policies, New York is leading the fight for gender equality in the workplace - but our work won't be done until women are better represented at the highest levels of organizations," Cuomo said when he signed the legislation.
In October 2015 - during the time of Boylan's tenure at the governor's office - Cuomo signed a $6.4 million legislation for a sexual assault prevention and assistance plan.
"This State has a legacy of leading the way in advancing equal rights - and today, we are making New York a model of equality for women," he said in the press release announcing the effort.
In 2014, Cuomo referred to himself as a feminist.
Cuomo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Without naming anyone, Boylan suggested there are others who have also experienced and witnessed Cuomo sexually harassing office workers. By engaging in this culture of sexual harassment against women, she said, Cuomo abuses his power.
"I'm angry to be put in this situation at all. That because I am a woman, I can work hard my whole life to better myself and help others and yet still fall victim as countless women over generations have. Mostly silently. I hate that some men, like @NYGovCuomo abuse their power."
Boylan did not respond to Business Insider's requests for an interview. After Business Insider asked for comment, Boylan tweeted that she's not interested "in talking to journalists."
"I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops," adding that the experiences are difficult to relive and talk about.
This past June, Boylan ran for Congress against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler in the Democratic primary for New York's 10th Congressional district. Nadler, who has served in House of Representatives since 1992, won the primary with 68% of the vote; Boylan came in second place, securing 22% of the vote.
Boylan recently joined the 2021 race for Manhattan borough president, where she hopes to succeed two-term incumbent Gale Brewer, who is term-limited. If she can win the Democratic primary, she'll advance to the November election, where New Yorkers will also be choosing a new mayor to succeed Bill de Blasio, who is also term-limited.
On her Twitter page, she wrote that she was running for the borough presidency "to create a more equitable, sustainable, and livable city."
She added: "Although we have many challenges ahead, I know that we can meet those challenges together and create lasting change for our city. Join me on this journey!"
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