The handwriting for a Cuomo budget is on the wall

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

An incoming governor vows change is coming to Albany. The legislature responds we will see about that. 

                          Sound familiar?

At the Democratic Convention last week, Andrew Cuomo took questions on how he will handle next year’s budget.

“I’m not going to raise taxes; I’m not going to have a wage increase for public employees,” he said.

Yes Cuomo is positioning himself as a fiscal conservative to appeal statewide. Yes he's putting unions on notice, but what he said next should raise eyebrows. Give him credit. At least he's telling us now during the campaign, there will be a lot of pain for New Yorkers. He went further.

“You may have to cut. You’re going to have to cut where the money is. The money is in education. The money is in health care.”

If Education and Healthcare are cut, what's next? And then let's not forget Education and Healthcare are political hot potatoes. Both areas have strong advocates. Cutting them to put it mildly are easier said than done.

Cuomo should give Elliot Spitzer a call.Wait. Not only should Cuomo talk to Spitzer, he should also chat with former Governor George Pataki. Both Spitzer and Pataki took enormous hits in the polls after taking out the budget ax early in their tenures.

Same playbook is already being dusted off for Cuomo, as this political narrative is becoming more and more interesting by the day.

There are rumblings that the Assembly will not be in lockstep with Cuomo.

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, a fellow Democrat who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester County already tipped her hand.

“but I think it’ll be very lonely trying to be the governor without the Legislature as a partner.”

Some additional quick thoughts:

1) It’s Showtime GOP!

This week belongs to the state Republican Party. They may not have much success in November but don’t sleep on GOP Chairman Ed Cox. The man is a fighter. It will be interesting to see how Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan handles the nomination in the race for State Attorney General. This is Donovan's first run at state-wide office)

2) Sounds familiar.

Cuomo gives a good speech. Listening to Andrew Cuomo deliver remarks is like watching his father—the great orator Mario Cuomo.

3) No real race issue.

Cuomo is taking heat for an all-white ticket, but it won’t be a problem. Yes Cuomo almost ruined his career challenging Carl McCall for governor, but some of us have short memories. Let’s not forget his father Mario helped pushed for the first African American to hold statewide office. Ironically, it happened to be McCall to fill the term as State Comptroller. As a result it was much easier for McCall to be elected on his own right. Having an African American elected to statewide office may not seem like much these days with President Obama, but it was a major issue then, and the state has not had another African American elected state-wide since McCall. The Cuomo’s have always has a fairly good record when it comes to African American/Latino appointments.

4) Poor Rick Lazio.

After a few months of a rocky campaign, with some Republicans showing him no love, the GOP candidate receives the backing of the conservative party, BUT this week's convention will only highlight his weakness as a candidate because he has to share the publicity stage with another Republican in the race who until recently was a democrat. (The third candidate, with a ton of money has said he's going the petition route) Also while Lazio has the conservative party, Cuomo has the Independence Party which means Republicans can now support Cuomo without voting for him as a Democrat.