Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo is a Guest on Long Island News Radio With Jay Oliver

Interview

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was a guest on Long Island News Radio with Jay Oliver.

A rush transcript of the Governor's interview is available below:

Jay Oliver: He leads the way in the Empire State - his name is Andrew Cuomo and we welcome the Governor. How are you, sir?

Governor Cuomo: Doing very well, Jay. How we doing today?

Jay Oliver: I'm well. I got up early. Checking results, eager to go, and three hours later almost I - you know what it's coming to a head. It's almost like I have withdrawal from the process of itself over the last month, but incredible process it was, huh?

Governor Cuomo: Yeah no it's true. Politics is crazier now than it has ever been. I've watched it a long with my father, et cetera, but this is just a different kind of intensity. Emotion - it's all emotion, Jay. It's not even facts and dialogue anymore - it's all this kneejerk emotion. People are upset. People are anxious. It's hard, it really is hard.

Jay Oliver: Listen I agree with you. Sheer adrenaline for me this morning. And that's what certainly was exhibited last night. I just wanted to get your thoughts - we had the early voting and everything else take place, Governor. Started what - October the 26th - you kind of had a nine-day head start. I liked it. Little tweaks along the way. I'm hoping it's going to get better - I feel pretty confident it will. Your thoughts?

Governor Cuomo: The idea is right, right? Why do people have to go on one day, you know, I have to live my life, I'd like to vote but I also have things to do, and why don't you give me more than one day to vote? Yeah that makes sense. I fully support it. I'm glad we did it. Then the devil is always in the details. You know, government always has a lot of great ideas, and then how they're administered and actually are actualized can also be very different. I think this has been a good experience. We have to go back and actually study how many people came out, where they came out, where did it work well, where did it not work as well? I voted - it was a very easy, pleasant experience, but it is the first time out of the box. I'm sure we're going to have a lot to learn, but the principle is right. Make it easy to vote. You want me to vote? Make it easy for me to vote. You know, I don't need to come to you - you need to come to me. And that's what early voting does.

Jay Oliver: Now we'll get into some of the stuff here on the Island, you know, listen. Topics: Fusion voting, campaign financing commission - this was a lot of conversation going on this morning after the aftermath and everything else, but you can imagine those two categories alone are going to have continued conversations, as you would say.

Governor Cuomo: Yeah, the - what they call fusion voting and public finance - public campaign finance is really the issue. Should the public finance campaigns with tax dollars to take out the disparity in people's fundraising ability? I have supported it. I supported it a long time. It's controversial in this state. A lot of people who are negative on politics and negative on government said why should my tax dollars go to support this process that I don't even believe in? So it is controversial but I believe it makes sense because right now money is too important, Jay. I'll tell you the truth. It's, especially in a lot of these smaller races whoever wins, whoever raises more money wins and it shouldn't be that way. It's supposed to be about merit and talent, so I support it.

How you implement it, again, like early voting, is the question. We tried to figure it out with the Legislature. It gets very political very fast. This is all personal politics. You know, if you're on Long Island you run with certain parties and certain endorsements, so you want to make sure you protect those people who are supporting you. If you're upstate you have different parties and different affiliations, so it gets very political. We tried to do it in the legislative session but frankly it was too political and too complicated to get it done legislatively. We appointed a commission to do it. They have to design a system.

See, when you start to add public finance, politics is about power, now you add public finance, now it's about power and money, and how you design the system is very important. How many candidates can you finance statewide? How much do you give each candidate? How much is it going to cost? How many parties do you have, because every time you have a party you can have another candidate. Somebody wrote today, well the money doesn't go to the parties. Yeah, it doesn't go to the parties. It goes to the candidates. But if you have more parties you can have more candidates. So a commission is working through this. For the commission to come up with a report, the Governor has appointees, the Senate has appointees, and the Assembly has appointees. The Senate and Assembly and Governor appointees all have to agree for the commission to come up with a report. So everyone basically has a veto power. The Senate has a veto, the Assembly has a veto, the Governor has a veto through their appointees. And then after the Commission comes up with the report, the Legislature can change it if they want to between, basically in the month of December. So, it's going to be - it's very political. The legislature will wind up having to support it on the Commission, and then they actually have the right to vote.

So, I support public finance. They have to design a whole system. It is hyper, hyper-political as you know. Just look at Long Island and the Conservative Party, and the Independent Party, and the Democratic Party and the cross endorsements. And who is doing business with who and all these strange bedfellows come together. You have the Conservative Party and the Independent Party, and the Democratic Party wind up endorsing the same candidate sometimes. Sometimes they are all on the opposite side. So it is very micro-politics and macro-politics, and that is why the Commission has got to try to sort it all through.

Jay Oliver: Listen, I agree with you one thousand percent. If someone just glancing pays attention to the world of politics, just the ideology alone will tell you. How does a conservative get paired with a Democrat? You know what I am saying? It's almost like, what is going on here? It's almost like you are pulling wool over voters' eyes in order to make a candidate look good. It's gotta stop. So hopefully that Commission will be in play. Now, I know you are busy guy but I know you always have an eye on the Island. Give me your thoughts. We'll start in Suffolk County. I mean listen, Steve Bellone, a couple of terms. Contentious race it was - he comes out a winner here.

Governor Cuomo: I think - you know when it comes to state politics, county executive races, even though we have all this political drama nationwide - Trump, impeachment, polarization like you have never seen before. I think there is a certain practicality and honesty when you get to some of these local decisions. Steve Bellone is doing a good job. He is doing a good job, Jay. I work with county executives all across the state. I was in the federal government. I worked with county executives all across the nation. Bellone is doing a good job. He is delivering for the people of Suffolk. You know, I'm concerned about my property taxes. Okay, property tax cap. I'm concerned about water quality. He is hitting the ball out of the park. I'm concerned about the environment. He is doing more than ever before. I am worried about resiliency after Sandy. He is all over it. So, I believe with Steve Bellone the voters awarded performance which is what I am all about and that's what I believe in. I believe performance wins, you know. You did the job and if you did the job well I would hire you and if you didn't I'm going to try someone else. And Steve Bellone did the job well. I think you also saw that Erie County in the state that two swing bell weather counties they call it are Suffolk and Erie County. They can go either way and they have gone either way. Suffolk, Steve Bellone won. Erie County, the County Executive there Marc Polancarz won. The Democrats also won a seat in Monroe, the Monroe County Executive, that's where Rochester is. That hasn't happened in like decades. That was a big, big win. So, statewide the Democrats did very, very well. Is it because they're Democrats, Trump, or is that people think democratic administrative is working for them. You know, I think on the local level I think they tend to measure performance and they should. They should.

Jay Oliver: No doubt about it. You're listening to the Governor of the Empire State, of course, Andrew Cuomo. Governor, I would imagine - I'm just taking a guess here - I don't think there were any pity parties going on at the Governor's Mansion. I'm just guessing over the President's decision to switch places of residence from New York to Florida. I can't imagine there were any type of tears that were shed based on that.

Governor Cuomo: Let's talk about this because this works on a number of levels. And it's important to me, Jay, because this - you want to talk about polarization and hot topics and emotion. Trump, this is the heart of the beast okay in terms of political emotions. Trump says he's going to leave the State of New York and move to Florida and now where you sit is where you stand. New York Post which is pro-Trump, pro-Conservatives - there's a whole tirade on Trump's supposed reasons, "Here's the truth and let's talk about this." Trump leaves New York for Florida residence. Why? Because he's being sued in the State of New York by the Manhattan District Attorney for release of his tax returns. He will not release his tax returns as everybody knows on every level. They've been trying it in Congress, et cetera. He leaves New York because they believe that he'll have a better legal case against the Manhattan DA if they can say they're no longer a state resident, right? I'm former AG, I'm a lawyer. They could argue to the judge I'm not even a New York resident anymore, the Manhattan DA doesn't have a vested interest in my tax returns. The judge decided yesterday or the day before that Trump had to release his tax returns, he sided with the Manhattan DA, so that didn't work. Trump is also being sued by the New York State AG for his foundation. His foundation is being investigated for misuse of funds. The AG has - the Attorney General - has authority over New York charities. If he moves the charity to Florida, the AG loses jurisdiction. Now, the AG will argue "My case is based on actions that the charity did when they were in New York" so I don't think he wins that, either, but he would move to Florida and that, theoretically, could help him in that lawsuit. That's the fact. Now, what does he say? "I'm leaving because of high taxes in New York." Jay, his taxes are lower today in New York State than the day I took office. I have lowered tax rates for every New Yorker and he knows that. He's supported me, politically, in the past. So, it wasn't about high taxes. "Well, I'm leaving, there's a lot of criminals and they passed bail reform." We passed the Bail Reform bill, Jay. New Jersey passed the same essential bail reform a few years ago, it's worked very well, signed by Republican Governor Christie. Person who I know very well, he's a friend of mine, and he was a Trump transition director. Signed basically the same bail reform bill. So, it's not about that. And then he says in the tweet the truth, which is there are overzealous prosecutors and suggests that I should've been able to stop the prosecutors. That he's mad at me because of the Manhattan DA's case and the Attorney General's case. And to that my statement was, maybe Trump believes in Washington he can politically interfere with the Justice Department, but in New York I can't interfere, and would never interfere, with the Manhattan DA or the Attorney General's case.

Jay Oliver: Governor, I hate to interrupt you, but we have a hard out at 9:00. I'd love to continue this conversation, but I can't thank you enough, at least, for a couple of minutes. Well said on the points of both sides.

Governor Cuomo: Thank you, Jay, good to be with you.

Jay Oliver: Always a pleasure and an early happy birthday to you. I'll have you on very soon, I hope.

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