Crains New York - January 14, 2013 - (Page 12)

OPINION Cuomo agenda needs a plan T Date of poll: Jan. 9 129 votes he ambitious agenda laid out last week by Gov.Andrew Cuomo includes a number of worthy goals and policy proposals, as well as several that deserve more scrutiny. There was little explanation in his State of the State address, for instance, of how he would pay for new programs while keeping to his position that taxes should not be raised. The governor promised a renewed push to hike New York’s minimum wage, which has not been raised since 2004. An increase from the current $7.25 an hour surely is in order, but not to a consensus-busting $8.75 all at once. And he declared that the first three casinos to be allowed under a pending constitutional amendment would be upstate. Vegas-style gambling venues in any of the five boroughs would be virtual mints for the state—Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens, even without human dealers, is doing brisk business—but it’s hard to dispute that upstate needs more help right now than the city does. We were gratified to hear that Mr.Cuomo plans to revamp the unemployment insurance program, which essentially has been insolvent for a decade. It subsists on federal loans that could ultimately stick businesses with massive interest charges.But the governor is asking them to pay off the debt faster than planned.He must spell out how he would replenish the system without breaking employers,and how he would raise benefits to the unemployed while increasing their incentive to find work and not commit fraud,as pledged. CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL COMMENTS Pity city’s poor GOP NO CANDIDATES, NO MONEY WILL GOV. ANDREW CUOMO’S CALL FOR A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE? More restrictions would help reduce gun violence. Only a nationwide ban will work. Fix the mental-health system instead. “Manhattan GOP essentially bankrupt” (The Insider blog, Jan. 7) goes hand in hand with the party’s not having offered Democrats serious competition for public office on the city, state or federal level in years. 39% 24% The citadel of liberal Republicans based on the East Side was eliminated years ago. Neighborhoods formerly represented by the late Rep. Bill Green, state Sen.Roy Goodman, City Councilmen Charles Millard and Andrew Eristoff and Assemblyman John Ravitz are now safely in Democratic hands. Crossover Ed Koch-style 37% Democrats who voted for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush (both), Gov.George Pataki,Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg continue to move out of town, retire FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS: Go to www.crainsnewyork.com/poll to have your say. 12 | Crain’s New York Business | January 14, 2013 out of state or succumb to old age. There has been no successful GOP outreach to new Caribbean, Hispanic, Asian or other immigrant groups, or to middle-class African-Americans. Once New York County Republicans lose any City Council, state Assembly, state Senate or congressional seat, they are never able to reclaim it. The Manhattan GOP went the way of the dinosaur long ago. AN EVEN HIGHER LINE FOR QUEENS Attention, Joseph Sitt and the Global Gateway Alliance to improve New York’s airports (“Airport group’s boarding call,” Jan. 7): If the state is spending a half-million dollars to study a “High Line” on the Rockaway right-of-way in —larry penner Great Neck, L.I. Queens (In the Boroughs, Dec. 17), it should also consider restoration of the railway.A direct 30-minute ride from JFK airport to midtown would be a game-changer for tourism and business in New York. Some 30,000 daily riders would generate $100 million in fares and take thousands of cars off the roads. Delta and JetBlue, which have invested billions in facilities at JFK, would love to see thousands of business travelers attracted by this convenience. Advocates of restoring the Rockaway line have always envisioned parallel jogging and biking trails, playgrounds and parks.With sponsors like airlines, hotels and the Aqueduct racino, funding of these amenities would be no problem.And the elevated railway would be a lifesaver in evacuating thousands of elderly and infirm Rockaway residents in a major storm. —art nudell CRAIN’S WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS to its opinion pages. Send letters to letters@crainsnewyork.com. Send columns of 475 words or fewer to opinion@crainsnewyork.com. Please include the writer’s name, company, address and telephone number. Those goals seem contradictory. We also await details of his workers’ compensation reform, although the promise of reduced assessments on employers is encouraging. Between the fixes to these two programs, the governor projects $1.3 billion in savings to businesses. Most of the dollar references in Mr.Cuomo’s speech, How to pay for all the governor’s new programs? however, involved spending.There was a $1 billion affordable-housing program and a $1 billion “green bank” to help spur the clean-tech industry.There also were solarpanel subsidies, electric-car charging stations, full-day prekindergarten for needy students, a longer school day or school year (or both), a major tourismmarketing campaign, public financing of state elections and a program to elevate or buy flood-prone houses. It’s easy to see the price tag for those efforts reaching 11 figures. It’s also easy to envision Albany dealmakers funding many of these causes through new fees.Here’s the hard truth:The state is already facing a $1 billion budget deficit and the prospect of reduced funding from a stingy Congress. Even if Washington comes through with tens of billions of dollars in storm aid, that money can’t be spent on teachers. The governor still must offer a credible plan to make his soaring words last week a reality. CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS editor in chief Rance Crain publisher, vp Jill R. Kaplan EDITORIAL editor Glenn Coleman managing editor Jeremy Smerd deputy managing editors Valerie Block, Erik Ipsen assistant managing editor Erik Engquist senior producer, news Elisabeth Butler Cordova news producer Amanda Fung contributing editor Elaine Pofeldt columnists Greg David, Alair Townsend crain’s health pulse editor Barbara Benson senior reporters Theresa Agovino, Aaron Elstein, Lisa Fickenscher, Matthew Flamm reporters Chris Bragg, Daniel Geiger, Andrew J. Hawkins, Annie Karni, Adrianne Pasquarelli web reporter, producer Nazish Dholakia art director Steven Krupinski deputy art director Carolyn McClain staff photographer Buck Ennis copy desk chief Steve Noveck copy editor Thaddeus Rutkowski data editor Suzanne Panara assistant data editor Emily Laermer researchers Eva Saviano, Amy Stern intern Ali Elkin ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE SERVICES senior web developer, interactive Chris O’Donnell ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PRODUCTION advertising director Trish Henry senior account managers Irene Bar-Am, Courtney McCombs, Suzanne Wilson account executive Jill Bottomley Kunkes sales coordinator Danielle Wiener newsletter product manager Alexis Sinclair credit Todd J. 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All rights reserved. ®CityBusiness is a registered trademark of MCP Inc.,used under license agreement. CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS chairman Keith E. Crain president Rance Crain treasurer Mary Kay Crain Cindi Crain executive vp, operations William Morrow senior vp, group publisher Gloria Scoby group vp, technology, circulation, manufacturing Robert C. Adams vp/production, manufacturing David Kamis chief information officer Paul Dalpiaz founder G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) chairman Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. (1911-1996) secretary Merrilee Crain (1942-2012) http://www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe http://www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise http://www.crainsnewyork.com/events http://www.crainsnewyork.com/poll

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - January 14, 2013

Crains New York - January 14, 2013
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business People
Opinion
Greg David
Small Business
Report: Real Estate
The List
Classifieds
New York, New York
Source Breakfast
Out and About
Snaps

Crains New York - January 14, 2013