Can the pundits only count to 100?

Jerry Kremer

For some unexplained reason, success in politics is measured by what happens in the first 100 days of a politician’s time in office. For Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo, his success or progress will be held to the same standard, however unrealistic it may be.

The first inkling of what the governor-elect is thinking will come early in January, when Cuomo will give his State of the State speech. There is no doubt that he will repeat many of the themes of his successful campaign and will lay out in very broad terms what he would like to accomplish. But the devil is in the details, and they will come when the specifics are unveiled in new legislation.

The biggest headache of the incoming administration will be the estimated $9 billion budget deficit. A plan to reduce it will be unveiled by Feb. 1. With no new incoming federal funds and no visible money available from the state’s operations, it will take a lot longer than 100 days to balance the budget.

Whenever the budget is adopted, it will be as a result of deep cuts in existing programs and painful compromises that every resident from Montauk to Buffalo will feel in one way or another. Cuomo has pledged that there will be no new taxes, but every state budget in the past 50 years has had increases in fees, and this budget will have its share.

What an incoming governor can accomplish in his proposed budget is to send a strong message about how serious he is about getting the state back on a sound fiscal footing. Former Gov. Hugh Carey told state legislators that the “days of wine and roses are over.” Carey followed through with a budget that dramatically cut programs and raised taxes. He stuck to his guns when he vetoed excessive spending but lost out to a united Legislature.

Cuomo has made it clear throughout his campaign that he has every intention of reducing spending and taking on what he calls the “vested interests.” There is no doubt that his new budget will reflect that promise. The state’s employee unions will no doubt meet fire with fire for a while, but they are likely to compromise with the new governor because the current political climate will not favor their position.