Guv turns attention to his liberal backers

ALBANY -- In ways big and small, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has used the second half of his first year in office to address the needs of some of his liberal backers who felt bruised by his first six months.

The governor spent the bulk of his first legislative session cutting spending, imposing a property-tax cap and attacking school spending, among other things that appealed to the political center and right.

Over the past six months, in contrast, Cuomo has taken a series of actions to address concerns expressed by black and Hispanic legislators and other voices from the political left.

It began with his last act of the 2011 session: passage of the same-sex marriage law. Since then, Cuomo has appointed minorities to high- and low-profile administration positions. He ordered state agencies to provide translation services in six languages. He reopened contract talks with a major public employees union after initially signaling that he wouldn't.

And, most notably, Cuomo pushed through a rewrite of the state tax code to raise rates on the wealthy, while lowering them for most middle- and low-income earners.

"The first rule of politics is that you secure your base. And all of these actions are an attempt to solidify a base that might have been alienated in the last [legislative] session," said Douglas Muzzio, a political-science professor at Baruch College.

"He's trodding a fine line with the liberals he needs to get re-elected and the conservatives who fell in love with him because of the budget," added Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. "The strategy is simple: Give enough to everybody along the political spectrum so everyone can be comfortable with him. He's picking up pieces for everybody."

Conservatives criticize

However, conservatives called the tax-code rewrite a backdoor way of imposing higher rates on big earners, something that Cuomo said he opposed earlier this year.

Michael Long, state chairman of the Conservative Party, who had praised Cuomo in the first half of the year, now says the governor has "lost his way."

"It's become apparent that he's starting to fly his true colors, which is liberal -- which is what he's been his entire life," Long said. "There comes a time in political life when you have to choose your road. You either choose greatness or you choose to blend in. I think he's at that point now and I think they've worn him down."

Long said liberal Democrats, unions and the Working Families Party "have been pounding away at [Cuomo] for more than a year" and that "it's clear he's losing his desire to fight."

Cuomo aides declined to comment.

Democrats pleased

In contrast to conservatives, Cuomo's fellow Democrats applaud the governor's shift on raising tax rates for the wealthy.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), who gave Cuomo a wide berth to push a first-year agenda that included health-care and education spending cuts, had been urging the governor to reconsider higher tax rates for those who earn $1 million or more annually. Senate Democrats were more outspoken and claimed victory after the tax-code rewrite.

"Alongside Governor Cuomo and our legislative colleagues, we are sending a consistent message that those with the most must do their fair share," said Senate Minority Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn).

Similarly, some African-American and Hispanic legislators who had criticized Cuomo for a lack of an "urban agenda" now say he's engaging them.

"He's well on his way to delivering," said Assemb. Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn). He cited Cuomo's string of minority appointments, a promise to increase minority-aimed business incentives, a "willingness to tackle" gun violence and an initiative to create a "tenant protection unit" within the state Department of Homes and Community Renewal.

He said taking up "fairer taxation" was an issue of "particular importance" to black and Latino communities.

Said Jeffries: "The total picture that is emerging is very positive."