EDITORIAL
THE TRUMPIAN
PLAYBOOK
Andrew Cuomo has accomplished much during
his 10+ years as governor, from boosting reinvestment
in the Empire State to rebuilding infrastructure.
But the scandal over the reporting of COVID-19
deaths in nursing homes across New York threatens
to be Cuomo’s Waterloo.
And like the scandal itself, that downfall is largely
self-made.
Last week, the governor admitted that the administration
failed state lawmakers in delaying reporting
on COVID-19 nursing home deaths while insisting
that it complied with the federal government’s request
for such data. He acknowledged that it helped create
an information “void” that wound up being filled with
conspiracy theories and political attacks from his
opponents. Cuomo’s admission did not come with an
apology, nor was it accompanied by a commitment to
allow a full and impartial investigation. The governor
said his administration, in his opinion, didn’t believe
“there’s anything to clear here.”
Much as we want to take him at his word, we also
believe in the old Russian maxim that Ronald Reagan
made famous in America: “Trust, but verify.”
What’s the harm, then, in Cuomo expressing an
openness to an independent investigation of the matter?
That admission and resistance only led to further
scrutiny over the scandal from lawmakers like Queens
Assemblyman Ron Kim, who has been critical of the
governor’s handling of nursing home deaths since the
spring — and who was the subject of Cuomo’s wrath on
a conference call with reporters last week.
Kim says the governor called him at home last week
and berated him while demanding that he retract his
critical statements about the withholding of nursing
home data — an accusation which Cuomo’s senior adviser,
Rich Azzopardi, vehemently denied.
But then Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has had a rivalry
with Cuomo almost from the start of his term at
City Hall, sprung to Kim’s defense Monday on national
television. He condemned the governor’s behavior,
calling it “classic Andrew Cuomo.”
Is this any way to run a state? To have a governor at
war with lawmakers of his own party to deflect from the
problems in his own house? It’s downright Trumpian.
All throughout the pandemic, we heard Cuomo
reject the politics of the former president. He was 100
percent correct in doing so.
How tragic that he now borrows from Trump’s terrible
playbook when all New Yorkers want is accountability
and the truth.
HOW TO REACH US
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.12 COM | FEB. 26-MARCH 4, 2021
HAPPY 86TH ANNIVERSARY
TO THE BAYSIDE TIMES!
Happy 86th anniversary
to the Bayside Times!
Daily newspapers
such as the New York
Times, Post, Newsday and
Daily News concentrate on international,
Washington, Albany,
City Hall, business and
sports stories. They have few
reporters assigned to cover local
neighborhood news stories.
These reporters have to compete
against colleagues for limited
available print space. As a
result, daily newspapers miss
significant news, civic, political
and transportation stories
from Queens communities.
Newspapers and magazines
have to deal with increasing
costs for newsprint, delivery
and distribution along with
reduced advertising revenues
and declining readership due
to competition from the Internet,
cable news and other
information source.
Challenges on maintaining
the bottom line have also
resulted in less resources being
devoted to investigative reporting
and a greater reliance
on wire service stories. As a
result, original newspaper content
continues to shrink. This
puts even more pressure on the
remaining reporters assigned
to various departments. There
is intense competition between
international, national, state,
city, business, sports, entertainment
and other sections
of newspapers. It is becoming
more difficult to provide real
detailed coverage of local news.
Weekly newspapers based
in Queens such as the Bayside
Times, along with many friendly
competitors, provide more
in-depth coverage of local news
not found in major daily newspapers.
We continue to be fortunate
to live in one of the few remaining
free societies, with a wealth
of information sources available.
Sadly, most American
cities and suburbs are down to
one local daily or weekly newspaper.
Please join me, along with
your neighbors who read the
Bayside Times, TimesLedger
Newspapers and other local
weekly community newspapers,
in patronizing their advertisers
— they provide the revenues
necessary to keep them
in business. Let them know you
saw their ad in the newspaper!
This is what helps keep our
neighbors employed, the local
economy growing and provide
space for your favorite or not so
favorite letter writers.
Larry Penner,
Great Neck
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo (l.) has been feuding with Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim (r.). QNS fi le photos
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