The Governor, the President and LaGuardia's AirTrain

Daily Point

Will the LaGuardia AirTrain get federal funding?

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo went to Washington Wednesday to talk with President Donald Trump about the state’s enormous needs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and he focused on the need for federal help with large infrastructure projects that could jumpstart the economy.

Among the projects: the LaGuardia AirTrain. 

That’s music to the ears of Cuomo’s former special counselor, Rick Cotton, who now heads the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

In an interview with The Point, Cotton noted that remaking the region’s transportation infrastructure would be a key piece of an economic comeback. But since the Port Authority has seen an enormous loss of revenue, the only way it can move forward on its capital projects, including the remaking of Kennedy Airport and the LaGuardia AirTrain, is with a large chunk of federal funds — $3 billion, to be exact.

Cotton said that while there are significant short-term questions about the nature of air travel and tourism, in the long run it will return — and the region must be ready.

“We’re at the deepest, darkest moment here,” Cotton said. “In those moments, it’s hard, if you’re at the bottom of the shaft, to see the light … But looking at the long term, we believe that travel will, over the long term — whether that’s a year, two years or even five years — that it will return. That’s what we’re investing for.”

Cotton said the remaking of LaGuardia Airport is continuing on schedule. The airport’s arrivals and departures hall is expected to open in a “relatively short period of time,” Cotton said, noting that it’s anticipated by “mid-2020.”

Future projects like the AirTrain, however, need the federal funding to move forward, Cotton said.

“Our view is we would repay it many times over in terms of economic activity and the benefit to the region and to the nation,” Cotton said.

Cuomo noted that the AirTrain also requires a federal environmental review, which he hopes will be expedited. The Federal Aviation Administration began its review a year ago, and said at the time that it could take two years. Cuomo said he and the president will talk again next week and that he is hopeful some infrastructure projects will move forward. 

“If [Trump] gives us the green light, this is not going to be years of discussion,” Cuomo said at a news conference after his White House meeting. “I have a shovel in the trunk of my car. We’ll start this afternoon.”

—Randi F. Marshall @RandiMarshall

Talking Point

This committee should form a committee!

When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Bill Gates would head up a council meant to “reimagine education” in New York a few weeks ago, the howls came quickly.  Gates is known among teachers for his support of Common Core learning standards, rigorous and data-based teacher evaluations and technological additions to education that could supplant some in-person teacher duties. All of these things have made him persona non grata in the state’s education establishment since the rapid introduction of Common Core crashed here starting a decade ago.

And the introduction of the committee at a moment when every student in the state was doing distance-learning and no one has a clear idea of how or when students and teachers can safely get back in the classroom only scared educators more. Cuomo’s musings in some of his news conferences about changing education, like this one on May 5, haven’t helped: “All these buildings, all these physical classrooms ... why? With all the technology we have, and we've been exploring different alternatives with technology, right?” 

Cuomo has since softened his tone and the actual list of the 19 members of Cuomo’s  Reimagine Education Advisory Council may have calmed some fears. It included former New York City schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, Interim State Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, some district superintendents, the executive director of New York State’s PTA, the president of SUNY’s Student Assembly, and university leaders.

But what may offer the most reassurance to worried parents and educators is the fact that this is not the task force that’s actually supposed to figure out how (and whether) to reopen schools in the fall. The state’s Board of Regents is putting together its own task force with the fabulous name “Recovering, rebuilding and renewing the spirit of our schools.” 

And the state’s county executives, who have established their own reopening task forces, have been asked by Cuomo to weigh in, too.

The Regents task force, whose members have not yet been named, will hold four virtual meetings divided by region to discuss concerns. Long Island, grouped with New York City, will have its say on June 24. 

“This task force will look at health and safety, transportation, testing and learning, digital equity, budgeting, social and emotional needs, and special education and physical education,” Long Island Regent Roger Tilles said. “We will, by July 22, give final guidance to the districts.”

But with the Regents task force broken up into such large regions, it’s not surprising that the county executives and their local task forces also are being asked to play a part. It’s not clear that Suffolk County and Manhattan will be in the same situation when it comes to schools come fall, and the input of local officials focused on health and coronavirus will likely be vital. 

“Much of the discussion has been on reopening the economy,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “The focus will start to shift more to schools once we get more of the economy opened, but we continue to communicate with the school districts on a regular basis.”

So if you don’t like the committee focusing on your schools, don’t worry. Another one will be along any minute.

—Lane Filler @lanefiller

Pencil Point

A heavy weight

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Final Point

Zoom, Zoom go the pols

For Long Island political events, Zoom is becoming the new church basement or library auditorium. 

COVID-19 has forced Nassau and Suffolk congressional candidates to move their events online, as the June 23 primary and general election season approaches. CD1 Democrat Perry Gershon, for example, promised early in the campaign to hold 10 town halls. He has pivoted to virtual for four of them, including his 10th total, scheduled for Wednesday night. 

Incumbent electeds  like Reps. Tom Suozzi and Lee Zeldin and Assemb. Andrew Garbarino, a CD2 Republican candidate, have it a little easier in their governmental capacities. Holding or participating in digital town halls or telecalls can be a little easier to pull off when you’re in office and have information to provide plus the infrastructure to set up the event. See CD1 Democratic candidate and Suffolk County Legis. Bridget Fleming, who participated in a “Zoom rally” earlier this month featuring fellow Legis. Rob Calarco and Suffolk Democratic leader Rich Schaffer. Zeldin participated in a virtual event with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone in April, and Suozzi boasted of a March call with Michael Dowling, the much-in-demand head of Northwell Health.

Other challengers are doing what they can to go virtual, too. Democrat Nancy Goroff in CD1 has done an online panel discussion and Zoom events with supporters. Democrat Melanie D’Arrigo in CD3 points to digital COVID-19 sessions plus events like one with the grassroots Indivisible group. 

Democrat Jackie Gordon in CD2 has done the usual, plus numerous virtual yoga classes. 

“Jackie earned her yoga certification when she was a guidance counselor at Wilson Tech as a way to promote mindfulness for students,” according to one event description.

Then there are the candidate forums, with local groups bringing opponents into a (virtual) room. The Suffolk County Progressive Coalition is planning one for Saturday in CD1, and the North and South Country Peace Groups held one earlier this month. It’s the tried-and-tested tradition by which candidates gather for an evening, enduring microphone issues and each other. These days, they might be more worried about the mute function. 

—Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano