By Michael Giuliano
In a relatively stunning development, our poor, beleaguered and ever put-upon Governor Cuomo now considers both “extreme” conservatives and socialists (https:// www.newsweek.com/cuomo-amazon -headquarters-alexandria-ocasiocortez-1222753) to be among his enemies. You see, both sides have been critical of his and De Blasio’s lavish corporate welfare offered up to snag an Amazon facility in Queens.
Mr. Cuomo is hurt and offended that these disparate political interests would question his presumably pure motives and tactics. “This transaction is a lightning rod for the political rhetoric on both extremes. The extreme conservatives and the socialists both now vehemently oppose "incentives" for Amazon, which is one of the most profitable companies in the country,” said Cuomo in an op-ed released by his office (https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/ op-ed-governor-andrew-m-cuomo). Among those “extreme” conservatives? The New York Post. Cuomo, it seems, is having his own battle with the free press. He also attacked The New York Times, Rupert Murdoch, and CNN.
These tax breaks and all are offered ostensibly for New York City to compete against other states and localities but, in the end, they are costing taxpayers a vast sum and the plan benefits the already very wealthy Jeff Bezos.
Cuomo’s diversionary ploy of labeling any dissent from either his policies or corruption as “extreme”, “socialist”, or otherwise emanating from people whom he considers generally unwelcome in New York, is wearing thin. At least it is wearing thin to the 41% who voted against him and perhaps a sliver of even those who elected him to four more years.
As for the rest of the Cuomo voting bloc, they prefer their Tammany-style Democrat politics “good and hard,” to amend slightly the observation on democracy by H.L. Mencken.
Albany’s Newest Tactic: Attacking the First Amendment (and Fourth, Fifth, etc.) to Ransack the Second
The anti-gun, anti-upstate forces in Albany and New York City (Note: Molinaro won 47 of 62 counties in November) won’t stop at anything to achieve their fantasy, which is not of stopping violence, since their gun control schemes cannot accomplish this as guns don’t commit crimes, but of needling their political enemies, attaining the leftist bona fides for CNN appearances, and invites to Congressional wine-andcoffee klatches with well-heeled donors.
Two of DeBlasio’s swamp creatures, a state senator and the Brooklyn Borough President, proposed a bill to require that a gun purchaser turn over their social media passwords and past three years of s e a r c h h i s t o r y ( h t t p s : / / www.wivb.com/news/new-legislation -calls-for-social-media-search-beforepistol-permit-in-ny/1612876779). This legislation is so extreme that even a certain gun “reform” organization (the NYAGC) has been slow to endorse it. Inevitably, such groups will eventually endorse it and we must be ready.
Most tellingly, the bill does not involve the policing of whether a person has made actual public or private threats against any person (i.e. threats that would be criminal acts under the current law) and thus presumably subject a person to scrutiny under the existing laws. It goes much further, which is to say, it loudly enters the territory of free speech. It allows a review one’s political speech and opinions posted on social media and internet search history as a basis to deny a permit. The proposal is a shameless, bold-faced attack on free speech and association as well as the Second and Fourth Amendments. No thoughts or actions are to be private under the new regime.
The Albany swamp is quite willing to attack groups unpopular and unwelcome in its hallowed halls of power. In fact, conservatives have been told they aren’t welcome in New York whatsoever by the very ethical and unimpeachable Mr. Cuomo, whose own corruption commission had to be disbanded lest it make things messy for Albany by finding anything further.
Call the new Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan and your own state senator and ask (politely) that they make a very prominent public statement against this outrageous legislation if it is introduced. In the minorities, the Republicans are without much power. The very least many of them could do is represent their constituents.
Cuomo ‘Disrespected the Judiciary’ after it Struck Down SAFE Act Magazine Capacity Provision
The Buffalo News has rep o r t e d ( h t t p s : / / buffalonews.com/2018/11/19/amidconfusion-part-of-safe-act-will-stopbeing-enforced-in-Erie-county/) that Erie County’s District Attorney has instructed local Erie police departments to stop charging violations of the seven-round limit provision in the SAFE Act. A couple dozen criminal cases were still pending at the time of the news report that charged a violation of this provision.
The seven-round provision was ruled unconstitutional years ago (in two separate decisions in federal court) but many observers suspect Cuomo’s administration has been encouraging the state police and many other local departments to continue charging individuals with violations of the magazine limit under the flimsy pretext that a lower federal court decision isn’t binding on the state.
Check with your county officials and inquire as to whether police agencies have been instructed to act in accordance with these court decisions. Kindly ask if your respective county officials respect the federal courts?
Look towards Washington and witness and smell the hypocrisy. The President is frequently attacked, in the most sanctimonious terms, for impugning the legitimacy of the judiciary. This attack on him is usually made with scant evidence. Vocal disagreement is not the equivalent of subversion. In contrast, liberal politicians such as Mr. Cuomo only “respect the courts” and operate within the confines of those courts’ decisions when a judicial decree squares with their progressive political platform.
