Hochul: LIers are my constituents, too

Daily Point

Governor visits the editorial board

Following a visit to Overlook Beach to check out the erosion, and a stop in Amityville to see new housing, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited with the editorial board on Monday, covering a range of topics, from housing and school aid to the future of the Long Island Power Authority and Nassau University Medical Center.

Hochul said she’s put her “top team” on NUMC, including Karen Persichilli Keogh, the secretary to the governor, and Kathryn Garcia, director of state operations, in an attempt to determine what can be done for the hospital, which continues to undergo significant financial challenges and, most recently, saw the ouster of Anthony Boutin as president and chief executive.

“They’re in trouble,” Hochul said. “We’re trying to figure out the right structure and how to get them out of it. I have my top, top team focused on this.”

Hochul also has her eye on LIPA, and the question of whether to municipalize the authority. Hochul said she hasn’t made a final decision, in part because the new chair of the LIPA board, Tracey Edwards, only took the helm two months ago.

“The only test I’m going to look at is what works best for the ratepayers,” Hochul said, adding that she is keeping “all options on the table” as to whether LIPA municipalization would be part of the 2024 budget.

The state budget was, unsurprisingly, a big topic for Hochul, who just unveiled her priorities last week. Hochul noted that she is “glad” to take another, albeit different, tack on housing, this time focusing on an incentive-based approach. She noted that seven Long Island communities already have submitted letters of intent to become pro-housing communities, and that Mineola, one of the seven, already has received its approval. And she emphasized the potential for housing on state-owned land, including prisons, psychiatric centers and properties controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the State University of New York system.

Beyond housing, one of Hochul’s most significant budgetary moves came on school funding, in which she’s proposing the end of the “hold harmless” provision that guaranteed districts would not receive less aid than the previous year. Under Hochul’s proposal, 44 school districts could see their school aid reduced. Those districts, she told the board, were primarily chosen in light of their declining enrollment and/or hefty fund balance surpluses. The 44 schools together have a fund balance surplus of more than $800 million, and 75% of them have seen population declines of 20% or more.

“I have to stop the peanut butter approach of spreading everything evenly on a piece of bread,” Hochul told the board. “I have to take care of high-need districts and I have to adjust at some point for the population.”

That’s especially true, Hochul said, because the state’s finances are tighter, making it necessary for the state to make some tougher decisions.

Hochul’s budget also includes $1.5 billion in casino license fees, reflecting the possibility that three downstate sites would be chosen for casino licenses by the end of this year.

“I want to move it along,” Hochul said. “I will not have a say in the location. I’m not putting my thumb on the scale … I’m anxious to have it happen, because of the revenue and because of the jobs.”

Hochul said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's expressed wish that the state “stay out of Long Island” won't affect her decision-making.

“Nothing anyone says or does will cloud my judgment when it comes to the constituents they represent,” she said. “I represent the same constituents.”

Hochul has one vacant seat to fill on the MTA board — and said she “would absolutely look at” choosing a Long Islander, adding that she expects to select someone “soon.” She noted that Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine also has a pick to make, and will submit a list to her, which she will assess as well.

One key MTA issue on her radar: Congestion pricing.

“I’m moving ahead until a judge says we can’t,” Hochul said. “We have the infrastructure in place … Hopefully, we can continue on.”

Hochul also discussed the migrant crisis and crime statistics, noting that she takes a deep dive weekly into detailed data on crime and enforcement across the state. She said crime, overall, is “dramatically better.” State officials have analyzed the number of arrests relative to the number of crime reports, and have found that measure has fallen by 42% in Nassau, compared with drops of 12% in Suffolk and 9% in Westchester, since 2017. Hochul said her visits to Long Island reflect an ongoing effort to come to the region often — one that began when she was lieutenant governor.

“I love Long Island,” Hochul said. “I really do.”

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

'Mix-up' du jour

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Final Point

Primary positions

• When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ended his presidential campaign, he said, “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.” Is he really saying that just occurred to him or has he known for a while?
• The super PAC supporting Ron DeSantis was called Never Back Down. Well …
• Former President Donald Trump said that GOP rival Nikki Haley was in charge of security at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the day of the insurrection, confusing her with then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Who has the cognitive problem?
• Well before he dropped out of the GOP presidential race, DeSantis said: “You can be the most worthless Republican in America. If you kiss the ring, Trump will say you are wonderful.” When DeSantis dropped out of the race amid Trump’s withering criticism and endorsed the former president, Trump called DeSantis “a really terrific person.” DeSantis was right about one thing.
• Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a Donald Trump supporter, said the problem with Nikki Haley is that she “does have baggage.” It’s its own punchline.
• Boeing announced it has overhauled its lobbying team after deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 and the recent crisis involving door blowouts. Because lobbying was the problem?

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com

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