There’s plenty in Andrew Cuomo’s record as governor that he’s not talking about, even as his opponents in the Democratic mayoral primary are. Think here of nursing home COVID deaths and sex harassment allegations. But there’s a much more positive part of that record to which he’s not calling attention to but should. The fact that he’s not trumpeting some of his greatest accomplishments says a great deal about the nature of the Democratic Party electorate.
Cuomo, as governor, was nothing if not a builder — or, more specifically, a rebuilder. Most notably, Cuomo pushed successfully for the rehabilitation of LaGuardia Airport, which managed to stay open during a complex renovation that saw its transformation from a decrepitude so serious that even Joe Biden saw it as a “Third World” facility.
It’s since been named the nation’s best airport by Forbes. The risks of a dysfunctional airport are being made clear by Newark. But no mention in Cuomo’s TV ads of the LaGuardia rebuild, something that has clearly improved New York’s quality of life.
So, too, his decision to overrule the MTA and adopt a policy to renovate Brooklyn’s L train on nights and weekends — rather than forcing riders to endure an 18-month shutdown. It proved to be effective — and is exactly the approach Amtrak should adopt in repairing the East River Tunnel rather than burdening riders with a three-year shutdown and the risk of transit chaos.
Cuomo shouldn’t get full credit for the extension of the Second Ave. subway — first proposed, after all, in 1929 and far from complete. But on his watch three additional Q train stops were actually opened — and an additional 200,000 riders are using that part of the line, per the MTA.
It was hubris for Cuomo to name a rebuilt Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson after his father — but the old span his administration replaced was dated and dangerous. It may not be in New York City but it’s used by bus and car commuters from Rockland County — who include New York police and firefighters.
There’s plenty of similar infrastructure rebuilding still to be done in the city. Think here especially of the crumbling Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, or antiquated water and sewer system and aging bridges.
In a 2022 report, the American Society of Civil Engineers, was sharply critical of the city’s infrastructure. “New York’s transportation network, especially in the New York City metropolitan area, is under immense strain in the context of an environment where needs outweigh available funding.” The ASCE saw the need for $20 billion to replace “mission-critical wharf structures” vital to the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Not all of this is the responsibility of the mayor. But the mayor can use his position to push for vital rebuilding of these sinews of commerce.
Thus the question; why is none of this front-and-center in the Cuomo advertising, considering how significant a part of his gubernatorial record involves infrastructure repair and rebuilding. That reflects the vibe in the Democratic Party and its emphasis on redistribution — aka free stuff.
Cuomo is fending off Zohran Mamdani, who’s offering a rent freeze and cheap groceries. Comptroller Brad Lander, a one-time property developer who should know better, is on board with the rent freeze, too — notwithstanding the disinvestment and disrepair it will inevitably spark.
But if Cuomo were paying attention to the more reasonable wing of the Democratic Party, he’d not be running away from his rebuilding record. Consider such relatively pragmatic voices as those such as the New York Times’ Ezra Klein and that Atlantic’s Derek Thompson, pushing for an “abundance” agenda in their recent book of that name. Indeed, Klein and Thompson specifically call for a “liberalism that builds.” That contrasts with what can be called a liberalism that takes.
To support commerce, New York needs streets and transit in top-notch condition, so goods can be delivered, so citizens can get to work, so new businesses can get supplied. There are Third World cities now doing a better job of that — such as booming Mumbai, where new bridges and subway lines are opening in a world city with which New York competes.
Cuomo has a record as a rebuilder he should remind voters of. That he’s emphasizing promises of yet more subsidized housing — another version of redistribution — tells us much about his perception of the preferences of the small fraction of voters likely to turn out for the Democratic primary — and the risk it poses for the future of New York.
Husock is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
