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Political Update

October 30th, 2018

Business Council of NYS Endorses Cuomo for Re-Election

Last week, the Business Council of New York State (BCNYS) announced its support for Gov. Cuomo for a third term as New York’s governor. The group also endorsed Cuomo in 2010 and 2014.

Business Council President and CEO Heather Briccetti said:

“In the end, our PAC decided to judge Governor Cuomo on the entirety of his eight years in office. Our members have strongly supported a number of the Governor’s most significant initiatives, including the real property tax cap, state spending constraint, significant investments in the state’s regional economies – especially upstate – and in public infrastructure statewide, business tax reform and others. The Governor has also recognized the need of employers statewide for skilled workers, and has adopted workforce development and education programs that will be responsive to current job market demands.”

Molinaro Ad Hits Cuomo on Property Taxes

Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro has released an ad criticizing for the state’s high property taxes.  The ad states that the Governor does not pay property taxes.  (The Governor has said that he and his partner Sandra Lee share household expenses, including the property tax bill.)

In 2011, Gov. Cuomo in 2011 successfully pushed for a bill that limits property tax increases at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less, unless a larger increase is approved by a super-majority.

Molinaro is pushing for a state takeover of Medicaid costs from county governments, which the Governor has said is too costly.

Molinaro said:

“Andrew Cuomo is oblivious to New York’s property tax load because he doesn’t have to pay it himself. He pushes unbearable costs down on towns and municipalities, which are then forced to hike taxes on already overburdened families. If Mr. Cuomo actually paid property taxes he might have a clue of what his fiscal shenanigans do to family budgets. As governor, I’ll drive through a plan to cut property taxes 30 percent because my family, like millions of others in New York, understands that every nickel counts. Every nickel.”

Poll:  22nd Congressional Race a Dead Heat

A Siena College poll released last week shows incumbent Republican Representative Claudia Tenney with the support of 45 percent of likely voters, trailing Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi by one point. It also shows 9 percent of likely voters as being undecided.

Read the poll cross-tabs here.

State Court System Releases Non-Partisan Voter Guide

The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) has released its Judicial Candidate Voter Guide.  Their Voter Guide provides information about judges who are candidates in races for state court elections to trial courts of superior jurisdiction (Supreme, County, Family and Surrogate’s Courts) as well as District Courts, City Courts and Civil Courts of the City of New York in the November general election.