Can Cuomo persuade Trump to give New York more support?

Daily Point

Cuomo visits President Trump in D.C.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s visit Tuesday to the White House might help him get some support from President Donald Trump for federal funding to help New York’s empty coffers. While the governor met with the president, Congress announced a nearly $500 billion package that did not include any of the additional money Cuomo sought. 

Cuomo’s other big ask was for federal help in commandeering an adequate supply of testing reagents so the state could get moving on the massive amounts of tests that need to be performed before the state can reopen. Cuomo had plans to meet with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Emergency Management Agency about testing concerns when the surprise offer to meet in the Oval Office was extended. 

While there was some speculation that Cuomo would appear at Trump’s late-afternoon coronavirus briefing, that’s highly unlikely. As for a photo-op from the Oval, Cuomo, as he did in at least four of his recent White House meetings, avoided appearing with the president. That deprived Trump of getting the kind benefit President Barack Obama received during his 2012 reelection campaign when he met with then-Gov. Chris Christie on the Jersey shore after superstorm Sandy.

—Rita Ciolli @RitaCiolli

Talking Point

Will there be a Democratic presidential primary on June 23? 

More official clarity on that question may come at a 1 p.m. event on Wednesday titled “Determination of Publicly Suspended Campaigns” on the state Board of Elections website. 

A section of this year’s budget legislation gives the board the power to “omit” a presidential candidate from the ballot if that candidate has suspended his or her campaign. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has done so, but indicated a desire to stay on the ballot, a way to influence the party platform going forward. 

It’s a tender issue for a party wracked by ideological disputes, but there are indications that Sanders might be getting the boot. In an April 14 email to a Long Island assemblyman obtained by The Point, a regional representative for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office wrote, “On 4/8 you asked if Bernie Sanders's name will be taken off the primary ballot. Yes, we have confirmed that his name will be removed from the primary ballot.​”

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said, “Whoever said that wasn’t speaking for us.”

“That’s a decision solely made by the Board of Elections,” he added. 

In a Tuesday HuffPost story, Douglas Kellner, the state Board of Elections Democratic co-chair, indicated winds swinging toward removal for Sanders: “I anticipate that we will be removing him.”

Whatever decision is made, it has to come relatively soon. State Democratic Party leader Jay Jacobs says May 9 is the deadline for production of ballots.

—Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano

Pencil Point

Isn't it ironic

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Final Point

Rechler, RXR extend a helping hand to Long Island

RXR Realty chief executive Scott Rechler is playing matchmaker — bringing together those who can help, and those who need it.

Rechler has started a platform called RXR Volunteer, where accountants, attorneys and others with important skill sets — and the time and ability to help — offer their services to small-business owners, non-profit leaders and others who are trying to navigate through the coronavirus crisis. 

The site has 130 volunteers, and so far, about 3,000 people have visited the site seeking help. The plan is to match those with expertise with those who need assistance. Both those who want to help and those who need it can sign up at rxrvolunteer.com.  

“It gave a sense of purpose to people who wanted to help and didn’t know how,” Rechler told The Point. “And now it’s starting to help nonprofits and small businesses who are trying to figure out how to navigate everything.”

Rechler is placing a lot of emphasis on how to help small businesses; their recovery, he said, will be key to the rest of the region’s economic recovery. 

Beyond the volunteer program, Rechler is focused on how to shape his business to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, he started an effort he’s calling March to Memorial Day, encouraging RXR employees to use the period of time to recalibrate the real estate company’s buildings and ongoing projects. 

“We’re reimagining each of our projects and each of our strategies based on a post-COVID 19 world,” Rechler said. “How do we operate our buildings?... How do we think about the recovery of our communities and our buildings?”

For Long Island, that could include the idea that companies based in Manhattan might be interested in opening satellite offices in Nassau and Suffolk counties, to keep some employees closer to home, Rechler said.

And it could mean possible future changes to some of his bigger projects. Among them: the Nassau Hub. 

—Randi F. Marshall @RandiMarshall