Cuomo: Details not final on ethics pact

ALBANY -- Former Gov. David A. Paterson used to tell a story about how he put together a coup to become leader of the state Senate Democrats.

He gathered all the renegade legislators who thought about backing him at his office and snapped a photo of them all together. And he sent it out to the media as proof that the deal was sealed, even though the official vote had not yet occurred. He wanted to make sure no one could have second thoughts or back out, Paterson would say.

Fast forward to 2011.

On major pieces of legislation in this year, first-year Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has repeatedly used a variation of the Paterson strategy: Announce a deal with legislators and have them publicly commit to it -- even when it is clear not all the details have been settled.

It's the tactic of getting lawmakers to commit to something -- publicly in print or video -- as immediately as possible, to prevent anyone from backing out, political observers say.

"In politics, momentum matters," said Blair Horner, a former good-government lobbyist who now works for the American Cancer Society. "By announcing a deal, you create momentum that helps close down the final details that are holding up any negotiation."

But what about Cuomo's regular admonition that a deal isn't a deal until it's final?

"He's right. A deal is only done when it's signed by the governor," Horner said. "What he's doing is trying to push the ball over the goal line by creating this momentum."

Take the state budget. Or the property-tax cap. Or the ethics measures first announced Friday afternoon and reiterated at a news conference Monday. On each, Cuomo declared a pact was set, while admitting there still was some haggling to be done over the fine print.

Good-government groups agreed to be part of Cuomo's news release Friday about ethics but acknowledged they spent the weekend checking details. The measure, as described in the release, would require far more disclosure of lawmakers' outside incomes than under current law and more detail about lobbyists' activities. But no bill has been printed yet.

"We have been assured that no notable changes will occur," said Dick Dadey of Citizens Union. It's not an ideal situation, he said, but his group was comfortable enough to put its support in writing.

In the case of the property-tax cap, the haggling continues, even though Cuomo announced an agreement May 24. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) hasn't agreed to how a tax cap will tie into rent-control laws, as Cuomo and Democrats want. Still, no one is saying the deal is unraveling. That might be because they've committed to the idea, observers said. Further, the announcements create a momentum of their own -- which could help Cuomo complete his first-year agenda.

"The window is not open long" for solidifying deals, said Gerald Benjamin, a political scientist at SUNY New Paltz.