OCTOBER 23, 2017  
Albany, NY

Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Appears on NY1 to Discuss Federal Repeal of State & Local Tax Deductability and Homelessness on New York City's Subways 

TAXES
Governor Cuomo: "This is the Republican Congress hurting the people in their district and there's no if, ands, or buts - there's no argument about it. They would hurt the people in their districts. So, politically, if they do that, I think it violates their oath. I think it's a modern day form of treason. They're going to be held accountable."
Roma Torre: Governor Cuomo met earlier today with Senator Charles Schumer to discuss plans for a congressional tax overhaul and its impact on New York. The Governor is joining us now live. Governor, thanks so much for speaking with us.
Governor Cuomo: Good to be with you Roma. Thank you for having me.
Roma Torre: My pleasure. The republican's tax reform plan, as I understand it, is poised to hurt New York State especially hard. It is seeking to eliminate deductions for the estate and local taxes. I know you've been speaking with Senator Schumer about this, but how are you prepared to combat this plan that would be rather harmful for all of us here in New York.
Governor Cuomo: We're going to do everything we can. This is probably the most serious threat to New York State that I've seen from the federal government in 30 years, Roma. They tried to do this once before in the 80s and it was so obnoxious that it was quickly defeated. Just so we understand what they want to do, they call it a tax cut plan, right? The President is doing a tax cut plan. In New York, it is a tax increase plan, and what they do is they use New York and California as the piggy banks to finance their tax cut for the rest of the country. The way they increase taxes in New York is they actually tax federally the state and local tax. So you pay $10,000 in income tax to New York City, the federal government will now tax that $10,000. It is literally a double taxation from the Republican Party that believes that tax cuts were written into the Old Testament. Its total hypocrisy. It effects New York and California the most. It would cost an average New Yorker about $6,000 as an increase. It would put New York at a structural disadvantage vis-a-vis every other state in the country. There's no rational for it. It's exactly opposite what the republicans say they believe.
So first today, what Senator Schumer and I are saying is, how can a Republican Congressman who represents the state of New York actually take an action that hurts their constituents. You know, we've had partisan battles. I work with Republicans in Albany. But it is normally two different philosophies on how to help people. Democrats have an idea. Republicans have an idea on how to help people. This is the Republican Congress hurting the people in their district and there's no if, ands, or buts - there's no argument about it. They would hurt the people in their districts. So, politically, if they do that, I think it violates their oath. I think it's a modern day form of treason. They're going to be held accountable. Second, I believe it's illegal. I'll go back to my old days as the attorney general. I believe this is double taxation. You're taxing taxes. I believe it's illegal, I believe it's unconstitutional, and if they do it, we'll sue. But where we are now, is we want to just make sure the Republican congressmen don't pass it, and by the way, if the New York delegation doesn't support it, it won't pass. So that's where we are today.
Roma Torre: You had mentioned this was an issue back in the 80s during your father's tenure as governor of New York State, and as I recall, the Democrats were able to win that fight. Have you been able to take a page from your father's arguments and is there anything we can learn from the way he was able to combat this plan to eliminate the tax deductions?
Governor Cuomo: Yeah. Well, first of all, you don't remember 1986, Roma, because you were nine years old.
Roma Torre: I wish I was. I wish that were true.
Governor Cuomo: What did happen was, it was the same argument. What the Republicans, frankly, I think in many ways decided to do good government over obnoxious politics, in the 80s. I believe we are now in the era of obnoxious politics. This is about Paul Ryan and McCarthy and who is the greatest ideological conservative and who is the greatest extreme conservative and who wants to get a next position on whatever committee. So I think this is a much more highly politicized congress than we've ever seen before. I think that's what's going on.
Roma Torre: Let's move on to a local issue. The mayor just yesterday announced a plan to reduce traffic congestion, but he plans to do it without instituting congestion pricing, which is directly at odds with a plan that I understand you are prepared to unveil. Is there any way you two can square your separate plans?
Governor Cuomo: Yes, congestion pricing in 37 seconds or less. First, you want to reduce congestion, you need an alternative to getting in your car and driving. The alternative is called the mass transit system. Make the mass transit system work. Make the subway system work. It has to be reliable, it has to be functional. That's Chairman Lhota's plan, an $800 million emergency plan. I said I would fund 50 percent. It's not rocket science. You need to fix the trains, fix the tracks, clean the stations, but it's money. It's money, it's money, it's money. I can do half. I can't fund the entire $800 million. The city has refused to fund the emergency plan. I think it's a terrible mistake. But you would have to do that to make the trains run. Second, the trains have to be safe. I have two daughters who are now done with school, so they're in the city, and they take the subways. The issue that's being discussed today, homeless on the subways, this is something that we figured out 30 years ago, Roma. You know, I started my career helping the homeless. The largest builder of transitional housing for the homeless in the nation in a not-for-profit. I then went to HUD and was in charge of homeless programs all across the country. We at one time had homeless people all over the subways and the stations. We remember that. We learned and we moved on. The NYPD polices the subway system. Rudy Giuliani established that in 1995 because the city owns the subways. We need to get the homeless off the trains and out of the subway stations so people feel safe and to get the homeless people the help they need. You do not help a homeless person by saying we'll let you sleep on the train. That's not how you help a homeless person. That's Billie Boggs from 50 years ago. Give the person the mental health treatment they need. Have the clean safe shelters. And have the NYPD do what they used to do, which is get help for the homeless person. So a functional MTA system, safe, and reliable. On the Mayor's congestion pricing plan. He hasn't been able to do that for four years. Enforcing the law now is a good idea, but I would have assumed he was doing that all along. It's not a city problem, it's a regional issue. You have people coming in from Westchester, from Nassau, from Suffolk. You want to control the number of cars that drive in, you have to look at the entire metropolitan area. What tolls are you charging on bridges and what's the cost of the Long Island Rail Road and what alternatives do you have on park and ride and express buses? And you have to involve the entire region, and then you're going to need to get a state law passed, which is easier said than done, second only to getting a law passed in the United States Congress. And I put together a full task force, regional, state Senate. I invite the mayor to join that task force. But that's the only way we're going to come up with a real plan. It has to be regional. It has to be multi-dimensional.
Roma Torre: Governor there were two issues that we covered here I just want to go back to the issue talking about, homelessness. There was that picture in The Post and it depicted a homeless man under the sleeping under the seats, the mayor put the blame on the MTA. And that prompted a rather forceful response from MTA chairman Joe Lhota who said, "We're again asking the NYPD to step up their presence and increase enforcement and the City must stop running from its responsibility." And he went on and on, but it was a long statement there. But is it in your opinion is the mayor dropping the ball when it comes to dealing with the homeless situation in the city?
Governor Cuomo: Let's just talk facts, okay, so we don't get involved in drama. I've been saying to Chairman Joe Lhota, the homeless on the subways and in the stations are a terrible problem. And again I come out of the world of being the number one provider for the homeless. I reject this faux argument of, well it's the civil rights of a homeless person to sleep on the subway. Let's get real. Let's get the homeless the help they need. Shelters, mental health, job training etcetera. Second, the New York City Transit Authority is owned by the city and policed by the NYPD. The NYPD used to do this they need to do it again.
Roma Torre:  Alright Governor, I'm terribly sorry we have to cut you off. We have run out of time. Hopefully there is a compromise in your sights and then we'll have to revisit this a little bit later on but thank you so much Governor Cuomo. 
Contact the Governor's Press Office
Albany: (518) 474 - 8418 New York City: (212) 681 - 4640