Lovett: Andrew Cuomo will lead team to help Puerto Rico with economic woes
ALBANY — In the midst of the economic crisis in Puerto Rico, Gov. Cuomo is set to announce he’ll soon be leading a delegation to the troubled island, sources tell the Daily News.The “solidarity” trip is expected to take place in early September and involve a group of “financial experts” and elected leaders, including City Council Speaker and Puerto Rico native Melissa Mark-Viverito, said one source familiar with the developing plans.
“New York is home to more Puerto Ricans than any other state in the country, and the governor believes we have a responsibility to support our friends in times of need,” the source said.
“The idea is to go down, get an in-person briefing on their ongoing struggle, and find out how New York can help, practically and politically.”
Puerto Rico has $72 billion in debt that its governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, says it can’t pay back.
A recent report from a group of hedge funds said Puerto Rico can find the money by laying off teachers, cutting spending and collecting more taxes.
Garcia Padilla is expected to receive a restructuring proposal Sept. 8 from his advisers.
An anti-hedge fund group that has been a fierce Cuomo critic called on the governor in late July to take on his big-moneyed donors by speaking out publicly for debt-riddled Puerto Rico.
Cuomo at the time said he had been in touch with Garcia Padilla numerous times to offer help.
Cuomo visited Puerto Rico during his reelection campaign last year.
And Garcia Padilla returned the favor days before the election when he appeared at a Bronx rally for Cuomo and state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
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The cold war between Mayor de Blasio and the state Senate GOP doesn’t appear to be thawing anytime soon.
The mayor in recent weeks hosted separate dinners at the old Tweed Courthouse for the Senate Democrats and the Senate Independent Democratic Conference.
His office is scheduling a similar get-together for Assembly Democrats.
But the Senate and Assembly Republicans have yet to receive similar invites since he’s taken office, though they say previous mayors long held bipartisan, informal dinners for each house.
“They’re designed to be fun, friendly, bipartisan events to put differences aside,” said a Senate GOPer. “After the summer the mayor’s had, you would think he’d want to make friends, not alienate even more people.”
De Blasio aggressively worked in 2014 to help the Democrats capture control of the Senate and is expected to again do so in 2016.
“We regularly do outreach to various levels of government regardless of party affiliation,” a de Blasio spokesman said.
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Well-known GOP consultant O’Brien Murray accused fellow Republican Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive and failed 2014 GOP gubernatorial candidate, of being a hypocrite when it comes to term limits.
Murray attacked Astorino for saying he’ll likely seek a legal-maximum third term as county executive even as he pushed the idea of limiting statewide elected officials to two four-year terms during his gubernatorial campaign.
“Either Rob Astorino is a hypocrite or he is floating the idea of a third term just so he can raise money from companies doing business with Westchester County,” Murray said. “He is exactly the kind of politician voters are tired of.”
Astorino rep Jessica Proud dismissed the attack.
She said Astorino, who hasn’t ruled out another run for governor in 2018, believes in term limits.
Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, seen on Dec. 10, 2014, and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, will share a portion of $17.2 million in funding for the training of new clinical researchers, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office announced on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015. Photo Credit: Ian J. Stark
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