I usually avoid remarking about political issues in states other than my own. Illinois has plenty of political problems of its own.
But I found this editorial in the Wall Street Journal complaining about the short memory of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sufficiently amusing I thought I would pass it. Here’s a sprinkle of quotes:
Is Andrew Cuomo suffering from long Covid? He seems to have forgotten and repudiated much of what he did during his 10 years as Governor of New York. See his amnesiac op-ed in the New York Post this week.
Mr. Cuomo called for suspending New York City’s congestion tax, which he championed and signed into law in 2019. Under the soon-to-be-implemented scheme, drivers will be charged $15 for the privilege of entering Manhattan below 60th St. The proceeds will ostensibly fund the city’s subways whose ridership is 30% below pre-pandemic levels.
and
In April 2021, he signed legislation raising the top income-tax rate in New York City to 14.8% from 12.7%—as the city was starting to recuperate from his disastrous Covid lockdowns. Mr. Cuomo pledged in March 2020 that he wouldn’t let then mayor Bill de Blasio lock down the city. Not long afterwards, Mr. Cuomo locked down the state.
The Big Apple still hasn’t recovered. Its 5.2% unemployment rate is a third higher than the national rate. Unemployment in Miami is 1.6%. Millionaires have been replaced by migrants. The city says 180,000 migrants have come since spring 2022. Nonetheless, it lost nearly 550,000 residents between April 2020 and July 2023, according to new Census Bureau data.In April 2021, he signed legislation raising the top income-tax rate in New York City to 14.8% from 12.7%—as the city was starting to recuperate from his disastrous Covid lockdowns. Mr. Cuomo pledged in March 2020 that he wouldn’t let then mayor Bill de Blasio lock down the city. Not long afterwards, Mr. Cuomo locked down the state.
The Big Apple still hasn’t recovered. Its 5.2% unemployment rate is a third higher than the national rate. Unemployment in Miami is 1.6%. Millionaires have been replaced by migrants. The city says 180,000 migrants have come since spring 2022. Nonetheless, it lost nearly 550,000 residents between April 2020 and July 2023, according to new Census Bureau data.
New York City’s exodus has also been fueled by spiraling public disorder. Blame a 2019 law signed by Mr. Cuomo that eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes. The law gave criminals a get-out-of-jail free card. They now attack innocents on the streets and subways, and toothpaste is locked up in drug stores.
New York City’s recovery also hasn’t been helped by the 2019 rent-control law Mr. Cuomo signed. Landlords have removed hundreds of thousands of apartments from the market because they can’t make money renting them out. As a result, rents have skyrocketed. Maybe the city wouldn’t have to pay $388 a day per migrant—you read that right—to shelter migrants if they could afford housing.
Apparently, in New York you can conduct a lively debate between Gov. Cuomo in office and Gov. Cuomo out of office.
I will only make one other observation. Contrary to what many politicians seem to believe there are no “do overs” in public policy. Undoing the outcomes of policy decisions takes more than just repealing the law. Better to make good policy choices in the first place. I recognize that violates the Politician’s Syllogism:
- We must do something.
- This is something.
- Therefore, we must do this.
