Gustavo Rivera on coronavirus and Cuomo, from City & State Afternoon update:
The federal coronavirus stimulus bill could scramble Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plans to partially close the budget deficit through changes to the state’s Medicaid program. But state lawmakers might pass a budget in the coming days. Whether it is bail reform, marijuana legalization, funding for health care and education, it is all on the line.
A key factor in all of this is how Cuomo will wield his political power on a wide variety of legislative fronts in a session increasingly defined by the coronavirus outbreak. Any governor of New York has formidable budgetary powers. But Cuomo has been particularly deft in achieving his objectives, most recently in getting the state Legislature to grant him sweeping emergency powers – with just a few hours’ notice.
Among the handful of legislators who voted against the emergency powers bill was state Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera, an outspoken critic of the governor. City & State caught up with Rivera on Tuesday to hear his thoughts on the budget, Medicaid and how the state could do more to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus in jails and prisons across the state.
“I will laud the governor for being far more responsible an executive than probably everybody else, whether it’s the orange sociopath in the White House or the nincompoop in the frickin’ City Hall,” Rivera said. “But we need to watch him particularly this time. You have to pay attention to the details because the governor is always about the details.”
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We are amused by the last paragraph, but we said days ago that President Trump dropped the ball and that Mayor de Blasio does not know what is going on, and that Governor Cuomo is the one who knows anything.
Senator Gustavo Rivera only agreed with us in much different words. Right Gus.
