22 The Queens Courier • April 16, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com
22 THE QUEENS COURIER • APRIL 16, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
editorial
Mayor, guv must stop the squabbling
When he provided his daily
coronavirus briefi ng on Saturday
morning, Governor Andrew
Cuomo spoke highly of the
state’s eff orts to keep politics out
of the response to the pandemic.
“Keep politics out of it,” he said
just aft er noting his eff orts with
the White House to secure relief
for New York state. “Focus on
government and focus on policy
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and keep politics out of it.
It’s very hard, especially at this
time.”
Would that he could say the
same for his dealing with Mayor
Bill de Blasio.
Moments later, during the very
same press conference, Cuomo
threw cold water on de Blasio’s
announcement, earlier that
morning, that New York City
public schools would remain
closed through the end of the
school year, in June.
While de Blasio presented the
decision Saturday morning as
a formality, Cuomo reduced it
down to the mayor’s “opinion.”
Cuomo said the governor has
the authority — something the
mayor disputes — and that he’d
rather see a coordinated reopening
between the city and its suburbs
of schools and businesses
alike. Th e stance didn’t change
on Sunday.
The animosity between
Cuomo and de Blasio is wellknown
to any New Yorker. But
does this rivalry need to present
itself in the midst of this unprecedented
crisis?
Cuomo made clear there’s too
much unknown when it comes
to the pandemic, and it’s unwise
to set a date on when to reopen
society. Th ere’s much truth in
this.
Public officials have said
reopening society automatically
would be unwise. Social distancing
measures can be eased a bit
as the curve fl attens downward,
but it must be done gradually so
as to minimize (if not completely
avoid) a second massive wave
of coronavirus cases.
Bringing students back en
masse — along with parents and
school faculty — at a late point in
the school year during this crisis
increases the odds of additional
infections and deaths.
We can’t imagine a scenario
in which Cuomo overrules de
Blasio and reopens the schools in
late May or June. So why not just
admit that de Blasio made the
right call here? Why couldn’t the
governor say that he would work
with suburban offi cials to coordinate
with the city on school
openings?
Cuomo is correct: Politics
must be kept out of this crisis.
We believe he should follow his
own advice when it comes to
dealing with de Blasio.
Photo by Mark Hallum
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio must fi gure out how to work together.
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