After a yr that noticed his gorgeous downfall in shame, Andrew Cuomo is abruptly on a successful streak of kinds. District attorneys in two counties have introduced they will not prosecute the former governor for sexual harassment and a 3rd says he is not going to pursue prices over Cuomo’s withholding of the true number of nursing-home deaths.
The selections by prosecutors in Westchester and Albany counties weren’t solely shocking as a result of sexual-harassment circumstances are tough to show and are typically settled by civil fits, as these little doubt will likely be.
The choice by the Manhattan DA to not prosecute on the nursing-home lies was additionally not shocking, however for a really completely different cause. The outgoing DA, Cyrus Vance, spent years and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} pursuing his white whale, Donald Trump, and was diligent in avoiding prosecutions of just about all people else, particularly fellow Democrats.
(His successor, Alvin Bragg, seems to be enlarging upon Vance’s see-no-evil approach to most crimes, except for homicide and some others. Heaven assist Manhattan).
Restore religion
Nonetheless, there’s excellent news from Albany, and it comes from Cuomo’s successor, Gov. Hochul. Her reply to his gross abuse of energy is a name for term limits for statewide elected officials.
“I need individuals to consider of their authorities once more,” she mentioned in an announcement.
She would additionally ban exterior revenue for these officers, apart from instructing.
Hochul didn’t say rather more, in all probability as a result of she’s saving her argument for Wednesday’s State of the State speech. Nonetheless, it’s apparent that each parts in her push are a direct response to the Cuomo fiasco.
They’re additionally good politics in that the concepts assist separate her from his shadow as she faces a major in June and, if she wins, a basic election in November.
Recall that the groping and different harassment allegations in addition to Cuomo’s manipulation of nursing-home deaths all stemmed from occasions in his third time period. It’s why I wrote that “energy corrupts and third phrases corrupt completely.”
Furthermore, the sickening occasions that drove him from workplace have been in themselves symbols of his abuse of energy. Throughout his practically 11 years in Albany, Cuomo created an aura of worry out and in of presidency, to the purpose the place some donors would privately admit they gave him cash solely to guard themselves and their companies from his wrath. Even legislators and so-called good authorities teams have been too typically afraid to vary with him.
He was friendless, however survived for therefore lengthy partly as a result of his critics have been terrified into silence, together with some within the media.
The e-book deal that netted him a minimum of $5.1 million concerned the documented use of state workers and was straight tied to the undercounting of nursing-home deaths. Hochul’s name for a ban on such revenue would take away the potential for an apparent battle of curiosity.
Certainly, an Meeting probe discovered that negotiations with the e-book’s writer began on the identical day {that a} report from Cuomo’s workplace deliberately undercounted nursing-home deaths. The timing suggests the possibility of getting a windfall led him to withhold essential public data.
Put it this manner: If the reality concerning the deadly influence of his order forcing nursing properties to just accept COVID sufferers had been identified, no writer would have gone close to him.
The usage of state workers on the mission, which Cuomo promised to not do in a written settlement, lately led the Joint Fee on Public Ethics to demand that he hand over all his e-book income to the state.
To this point, the bid to claw again the blood cash has hit a wall, with the Lawyer Common’s Workplace saying the ethics panel should observe sure “procedural steps” earlier than it might pursue the funds.
third time period no allure
Though there’s some criticism that Hochul didn’t embrace lawmakers in her term-limits push, her determination to exclude them really raises her probability of getting the plan handed. Lawmakers, particularly those that felt trapped by Cuomo’s grip, aren’t about to term-limit themselves, however is perhaps completely satisfied to place restrictions on the governor, the lieutenant governor, the AG and comptroller.
And don’t low cost self-interest. Time period limits in these places of work would imply common openings, which might give some lawmakers hopes that they might win election to these jobs.
The state structure would additionally must be amended earlier than time period limits may very well be adopted.
To make sure, they don’t seem to be a prophylactic in opposition to boobs successful. One title makes the case: Invoice de Blasio. The harm he did to town in two phrases was huge.
Alternatively, it’s scary to suppose the Putz may need gained 4 extra years with out town’s two-term restrict. Thankfully, we didn’t have to search out out.
The identical is true of Albany. Andrew Cuomo was the third consecutive governor to win a 3rd time period, with each his father, Mario, and Republican George Pataki every successful thrice.
Other than the tendency to corruption, third phrases are sometimes flops. Public fatigue, mixed with official burnout, aren’t formulation for progress and the way in which New York lagged different states in good authorities and financial development, particularly Florida, is an argument by itself for brand new fingers on the helm.
Moreover, take into account the revolting risk that Andrew Cuomo would have gained a fourth time period. On prime of different abuses, you will be sure he wouldn’t have been happy with slapping the household title on only a single bridge.
By the point he completed, he in all probability would have tried to vary the title of the state to Cuomostan.
Spin docs, gimme a ‘break’!
Retired journalist Richard Reif has a bone to select with Dr. Anthony Fauci, writing that the time period “breakthrough infections” is being misused to explain circumstances the place vaccinated individuals get COVID.
“A ‘breakthrough’ is generally a constructive time period to hail main advances in drugs and different fields,” Reif says. “The right time period for infections of vaccinated people is ‘breakdown,’ which signifies a vaccine failure.”
He provides that, whereas he’s vaccinated and boosted, “breakthrough is a euphemism devised by Fauci & different ‘specialists’ to downplay vaccine failures.”
Identical unhealthy information for Workforce Biden
President Biden gave one more speech Tuesday and the one memorable half was that he mentioned 2020 could be a great yr.
Oy.
In different developments, a ballot places his disapproval ranking on the financial system at a brand new excessive of 60 % and one other aide is quitting Vice President Kamala Harris’ workplace.
Final one out, flip off the lights.
Reader calls foul on Fauci
Reader Harold Theurer likes faculty soccer, however believes the lengthy roster of vacation bowl video games is lacking one. He writes: “There needs to be a Fauci Bowl. It will be very fascinating to look at since earlier than every quarter the goalposts could be moved.”
