GOP cautiously optimistic on Cuomo plans

ALBANY -- It's not that Republicans were put off by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's 2012 agenda outlined in his State of the State message. It's that it was hard for them to find something irresistible, unlike a year ago.

"That's a fair assessment," said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua), who said he didn't see any economic initiatives for Republican areas. "If you are in New York City or Buffalo, things look pretty rosy. But if you are in the middle of the state, the Finger Lakes, Long Island or the North Country, there wasn't much. That was a glaring missing piece."

Collaboration with Republicans was a big part of Cuomo's first year in office. The Democrat began as a fiscal conservative and won their support for the state's landmark property-tax cap and a budget that included no new taxes and the first spending cuts in 16 years.

But in kicking off the 2012 legislative session, the governor's message seemed to include more items appealing to his Democratic base than to the GOP: strengthening abortion rights, investing in solar power and opening offices for "tenant protection" and "New Americans" -- to help immigrants navigate citizenship and find job training. He also called for independent redistricting and public financing of political campaigns. He proposed building the world's largest convention center in Queens and sending $1 billion in aid to Buffalo.

Republicans found initiatives to embrace, too. They liked the idea of beefing up transportation and energy infrastructure, increasing public-private partnerships to create jobs and expanding the criminal DNA database. They also welcomed the governor's pledge to work in a bipartisan manner, like in 2011.

"I could find things I don't like, but I wouldn't want to overshadow the overwhelming sense of optimism and confidence" Cuomo projected, said Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley).

But, Republicans didn't applaud when the governor talked about campaign finance. They voiced doubts about his call to end fingerprinting of food-stamp recipients.

And many questioned Cuomo's idea of creating panels to solve sticky issues -- teacher evaluations, tax codes and "mandate relief" for local governments.

Last year, Republicans rushed to embrace Cuomo's ideas, especially his no-new-taxes pledge -- although the governor reversed himself in December when he and lawmakers approved a plan to raise tax rates on the wealthy.

Cuomo's first year also included the historic legalization of same-sex marriage and a new ethics law that requires legislators to disclose more about their outside incomes. Maybe that's why the second-year agenda appears modest, lawmakers said.

"To be honest, I think the governor in his first year got more completed than he expected," said Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), "and now he's looking for stuff."

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) gave his opening address before Cuomo at the Empire State Plaza and praised what a great partner he had in the governor. After Cuomo's speech, Skelos sounded a little more cautious: "We're going to look at everything. I'm not going to say yes, or no, to anything."

Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) said Cuomo and Republicans still share the same overall themes: jobs and "the idea that you can't keep going to the public well to do everything."

His assessment: "I think there was a little bit there for everybody."