Column by Don Glynn —
Sometimes what politicians don’t say is as important as what they do.
That was the case Wednesday when Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his 58-minute State of the State message to the Legislature, omitted two key topics covered in his prepared text: Hydro fracking and redistricting.
Cuomo never mentioned the proposed hydraulic fracturing in the Southern Tier that proponents contend would be a major step for creating jobs and boosting the local economy. On a larger scale, the drilling for the natural gas could be a significant move to easing the energy crisis.
Hydraulic fracturing consists of pumping a fluid and a propping material (e.g. sand) down the well under high pressure to create fractures in the gas-bearing rock. The process requires large volumes of water to fracture the rocks and produce the desired amount of gas.
Opponents to the drilling of such wells have raised concern about protecting the environment and the water resources.
The governor didn’t take a stand on the proposal — even in his prepared speech — but he did emphasize that the state Department of Conservation had already received more than 15,000 comments during the four public hearings it held across the state. The DEC is reviewing all the comments and the agency expected the advisory panel’s recommendations to be released later this year.
The second sensitive topic Cuomo ignored was his earlier plea for a long-delayed redistricting. Unlike many other states, as the governor noted in the section he didn’t read, New York’s elected lawmakers have been deciding for years what their districts should look like.
As he has said in the past, such a system puts the interest of incumbents ahead of the public interest. High on his reform agenda has been a call for “an independent redistricting process” that will produce new district maps of the state after each census.
If the lawmakers don’t follow his suggested guidelines to accomplish redistricting. Cuomo has threatened to veto their proposal.
In other action during the program Wednesday, the governor’s VIP introductions included the mayors of the five biggest cities in the Empire State. Although Niagara Falls Mayor Paul A. Dyster was present, he was not introduced because the Cataract City is not in the top five for population.
It was probably nothing but an oversight but the governor didn’t mention “Niagara Falls” when he talked about New York as an international destination. (He did refer to several other areas that deal with tourism.) Tourists spent $50 billion in New York state in 2010.
•••
YEAR IN REVIEW: Whatever critics say about Cuomo’s first-year performance , it must be conceded that the governor has restored a sense of civility on Capitol Hill.
While the inevitable differences surfaced at times — Democrats and Republicans following their party lines — none of the debate or delay this time around tainted the lawmakers as one of the most “dysfunctional legislatures” in the nation.
Fred U. Dicker, the acerbic columnist of the New York Post and dean of the Albany press corps, often describes Cuomo as a “very smart leader” who has a thorough understanding of state politics.
Unlike former Gov. George Pataki, who never seemed to be around Albany when needed (In fact, he joked about it himself), Cuomo conveys the impression of one firmly in the driver’s seat.
Instead of stirring up friction between his office and the Legislature, Cuomo has reached out on a number of occasions to convince voters that the governor and the lawmakers are combining efforts to make government work for the public good.
His popularity ratings send a clear message: His strategy is paying off.
Opinion
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Glynn
GLYNN: Cuomo’s doesn’t stick to his prepared remarks
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GLYNN: VFW post keeps spirit alive
At one time, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars-Post 313 would march down Main Street in Youngstown on Memorial Day to the 1812 Cemetery near Old Fort Niagara. That same scenario out of the past occurred for decades in cities, towns and villages across the U.S.
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HAMILTON: Dandelions, parades, broken poles and people
There are still those remnants of the fading bouquets of floral tributes that still hang at that base of a tree on city hall’s lawn. It is near where, last year, from his shiny silvery cart, Melvin Johnson sold hot dogs and sausages to both city employees and passerbys while his tiny white dog excitingly yelped at anyone that came near.
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GLYNN: Gillibrand seeks help for prime bread-winners
A recent report shows that working mothers across the Empire State earn nearly 15 percent lower pay for the same work as men.
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BRADBERRY: There really are spirits in the water
Over the centuries since it was “discovered” hundreds of millions of people have traveled from every corner of the world to visit Niagara Falls making it the most visited of the great waterfalls on the planet.
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CONFER: The reality of rationed health care
The ongoing debate over Obamacare has brought to light the concept of rationed healthcare. Opponents of health care reform keenly point out that while the bill never explicitly calls out rationing, it features certain provisions that will lead the markets to adjust to strict federal demands and, therefore, dispense certain procedures in smaller amounts or not at all. Because of it being the first time that the subject has really come up in public circles, most people, especially on the right, believe that rationing is something new. It’s not. The free markets have been practicing that for quite some time. I should know; with a 4-inch long, 1-inch wide scar running south of my belly button – and a couple of related scars around my groin – I could be the poster child for rationed health care.
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CITY DESK: A regrettable error
We owe Carol Sensabough an apology.
Several weeks ago, the long-time reader and Niagara Falls resident sent a letter to the editor explaining that she took offense to some of the things written by a syndicated columnist, Stephen Dick. -
HIGGS: Niagara Falls' own West Side story
Trusello’s Bakery was on Elmwood behind the family home at 840 19th St. The family, Richard, William (Billy) and Sam along with two sisters, lived in the house.
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GLYNN: Falls, Ont., rolls out red carpet for Wallenda
Before Nik Wallenda even started practicing his high-wire routine in downtown Niagara Falls, state Sen.George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, had noted the warm welcome the tightrope walker received across the river.
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HAMILTON: Civic ‘ParticipAction’ can work too
Back in the 1970s, our Neighbors to the North ran a national campaign called ParticipAction to encourage Canadians to get off their butts and do things for the sakes of their bodies.
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GLYNN: Graduates find they’re in staggering debt
Countless senior citizens often gripe about something, sometimes even with good reason. Perhaps they should consider themselves fortunate, compared with the younger generation.
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