Each year at the winter conference of the state’s black and Puerto Rican caucus in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is asked about his relationship with the group.

It was done primarily because Cuomo’s tendancy toward fiscal moderation occaisionally collides with what lawmakers haved pushed for in the given legislative session.

And it’s also done because the event is sometimes an occaision for the more outspoken attendees to demonstrate their unhappiness with Cuomo.

For instance, in 2011, Cuomo’s speech at the gala dinner was interrupted by the firebrand city Councilman Charles Barron and a handful of protesters upset primarily over his proposed spending cuts.

Last year, to a far lesser degree, the Rev. Jesse Jackson called on Cuomo to veto legislative boundaries drawn by Senate Republicans (ultimately Cuomo accepted the lawmaker-drawn lines in exchange for the creation of a redistricting commission for the next round in 2022).

This year Cuomo is proposing a range of issues the caucus can embrace including a raise the state’s minimum wage, a sweeping gun control law and successfully nominating the second Hispanic woman to the state Court of Appeals.

Speaking to reporters last night, Cuomo insisted the relationship remains a good one, and later in his speech credited the caucus with pushing the progressive issues he backs.

“I think that I’ve had good relations all along,” Cuomo told reporters before the speech. “Every year do you have someone who’s unhappy with something? Yes. If we didn’t have someone who isn’t happy about something I don’t know we’d be doing our job. But we have a great agenda this year. We had a reception at the mansion for Mayor David Dinkins, so I think everything is good.”

But Cuomo spoke at the reception, not at the gala dinner. Cuomo insisted this wasn’t a break with past practice (Cuomo didn’t speak at the dinner last year, but did have a reception at the Executive Mansion for caucus weekend).

Cuomo insisted this wasn’t a snub.

“I’ve done all of the above,” he said. “I’ve spoken at the chairman’s reception… I’ve just done receptions at the before.”

 

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