Cuomo Criticizes Unnamed Buffalo Assemblyman: 'Talk to Your Neighbors'

AMHERST, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo maintains his START-UP NY program is creating thousands of jobs at no cost to taxpayers, even as legislators in Albany are challenging the premise. In Buffalo on Wednesday, Cuomo said those lawmakers are missing the bigger picture.

"It is inarguable but that the state's economic development efforts are working. Forget what the politicians in Albany say," said Cuomo, D-New York.

The governor said START-UP is one of about a dozen or so programs that's contributed to a revitalized New York economy, one where there are more jobs than ever in the state's history.

"My advice to the Albany politicians: Go home. Get in touch with reality. Talk to your neighbors. Visit Buffalo. You clearly haven't been there in a long time," he said.

Cuomo continued to criticize an unnamed assemblyman from Buffalo for questioning the state's economic development initiatives. While Cuomo wouldn't say specifically who he was talking about, it was Robin Schimminger, D-Kenmore, who convened the hearing.

"It is working and for any Buffalo politician to try to get a headline by bashing Buffalo, they should be ashamed of themselves," he said.

Cuomo then moved on to put legislators on notice about another issue: pay raises.

"The performance hasn't been that great. You've had 29 legislators who have been implicated in crimes. You've had major leaders who have been convicted, so I think they have to make the case to the people of the state of New York. They haven't done that yet. They've been criticized for not showing up at the hearings," he said.

A pay raise commission is current considering giving legislators as much as a 48 percent pay increase, the first increase since 1999. The governor said legislators who want it should go on record before November's election.

"I'll go first," he said. "I need, I'm going to argue to the commission that we have to pay commissioners more to get top-flight people."

Cuomo said he wants to be able to pay agency commissioners a higher salary. Currently, he said deputy commissioners are sometimes paid more than the agency heads because of the restrictions.