Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo is a Guest on Long Island News Radio with Jay Oliver

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was a guest on Long Island News Radio with Jay Oliver.

AUDIO is available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's interview is available below:

Jay Oliver: We got him back. He is the Governor of the State of New York, and his name is Andrew Cuomo and we welcome him on a Tuesday morning. Sir, how are you?

Governor Cuomo: Thank you for welcoming me. I'm very good today. Very good.

Jay Oliver: Excellent. There's so much to talk to you about. You know, I know Long Island is getting into the artificial reef business, I want to get into that first because I know that is near and dear. I did a lot of homework, Governor, regarding artificial reefs, manmade structures aquatically, I think is the word to put it, recycled and it provides some habitat for a lot of things out there, and I know that's near and dear to you. So, let's start with that, the artificial reefs especially on the Island and we've got 12 sites, I do believe. Two in the Sound, two in the Great South Bay and 8 in the Atlantic Ocean on the South Shore of the Island, am I correct in saying that?

Governor Cuomo: Yes, you are, sir. This is something that other states, other parts of the country I should say, did decades ago, and they were right. In the old days, Jay, the Department of Defense, the military, would give surplus property like battleships, navy vessels, et cetera and they would clean them, and they would sink them, and they would become artificial reefs. The reefs then do all sorts of good things. They develop a fishery, because fish need structure. They become an attraction for diving. They even help protect the shoreline from erosion, et cetera. New York never really did it. I'm not even sure why, but we never really in modern history appreciated our waterfront, our location and the potential. So, I started doing this very aggressively and we're going to do a very cool thing tomorrow, which is dropping rail cars into the reef, what's called Hempstead Reef, but it's off Point Lookout, off Jones Beach - three miles out from Point Lookout and Jones Beach. It will help the shoreline, it will help tourism, it will help quality of life, fishing is a big deal -- you know that I like to fish, diving is a big deal, all the people who come to Long Island to enjoy that. So, it's very cool and this is cool because I was reading an article of a rail line that had many old cars that were taking up space on tracks, okay, and they didn't know what to do with the old cars because they were out of date for use, but they're large structures, what do you do with all these large cars? And I called them up and I said, "I have an idea. Give me your old cars." They're rail cars, which is different than Subway cars; these are the arcane things you learn as Governor. Subway cars are now made out of aluminum, the superstructure, and the aluminum is now so light weight that they can decompose by the waves. The waves can rip them open and then you have shards of aluminum coming up on the beach. These are rail cars so they are designed to hold lumber, heavy equipment, so they're real steel boxes, basically. And we brought them up, we had to clean them, take off all the lead paint, et cetera, and we're going to drop them into the reef. And again, the cost is de minimis, you know? We're dropping rail cars, old ships that are no longer of use. We're dropping a turbine. We're dropping because these are significant structures that will last a long time; they're interesting for divers to go down and see, and then they help erosion, and they dramatically increase the fishery.

Jay Oliver: I think it's great, and you know, it's interesting how the State, the artificial reef program is actually created, folks, I believe it was 1962, Governor, if I have the date right. It documented construction of the first artificial reef dates back even into the late 1940s. So, it's fascinating to see how this thing has kind of evolved, and that's a good thing for tomorrow, so we look forward to that. That's very good stuff.

Governor Cuomo: It was the right idea, but then we just, you know there are so many good ideas, Jay, that we just don't do, we don't just get to; so many common sense ideas where it's all about execution. Okay, good idea. Now do it. That's what I say 10 times a day. "Okay, now do it," and do it right, and do it efficiently and effectively. And I'm psyched about this. Wells Fargo is the company I called. I call Wells Fargo after I read their newspaper article. They said, "we have to call you back." I said, "why do you have to call me back?" They said, "because we don't really believe we're talking to Governor Cuomo." I said, "okay, hang up and call me back."

Jay Oliver: They had to make sure.

Governor Cuomo: Nobody called and asked them for their old rail cars before. They were really very kind to us. Thank you, Wells Fargo.

Jay Oliver: There you go. Good request. We're talking with the Governor of the State of New York of course and of course I'll tell you the numbers are there. You have been giving them regarding the positivity rates and the special number 1 percent and other. We like hearing that. We're almost at what, 40 in a row I do believe, maybe 39. But you know Governor I've been saying all along it's about the messaging. You got it out there. You wear the mask. You distance. You've been very stern about it and I think that's a good reason why we're seeing these low rates right now.

Governor Cuomo: Yeah, you know, Jay, in the book of life this was a really traumatic episode and it's going to be in the history books and they'll teach our kids about this one day. Well not my kids. My kids are out of school but New Yorkers did the right thing. They did the right thing. What's right is right.

We had the highest infection rate in the country because the federal government had no idea what they were doing. They're talking about the virus coming from China. The virus wasn't coming from China. The virus left China, got on a plane, went to Europe and meanwhile we're bringing in all these Europeans and they're all landing at JFK Airport and Newark Airport. So we got ambushed. We had the highest infection rate. We've gone from the highest to the lowest and it's not magic.

It's, I use the expression New York Tough. Okay, here is the challenge. What did I do? Here is the information. Here are the facts. No BS, no spin, no politics. I don't care what you are, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative. That's all garbage at the end of the day. We are New Yorkers. Here are the facts. Here is what we have to do. Let's step up and do it and they stepped up and they did it and the proof is in the numbers. We hover about 1 percent which is where we want to stay and we're reopening. We're four months into reopening. We didn't make any of the mistakes these other states made. They reopened, they closed, they reopened, they closed, countries are now doing it again - because when they reopen they lose their discipline and people get sloppy.

To my staff I analogize it to losing weight. You lose five pounds. Great. Yeah, but you have to be careful every day. You one weekend, you say, okay, I lost the weight, I'm fine, I'm going out, and you have a few beers and then you eat a little bit too much and Monday morning you're right back where you started. So you have to stay disciplined and when you say stern, I don't know that I'm stern. I'm disciplined and I'm telling them what they need to hear. You eat the cheesecake; you're going to see it on the scale tomorrow morning.

I don't know what to tell you. That's the fact and getting the information to people like schools are opening now, we now started this website where people can go find out how many positives are in their school, but just giving them the information, you know, you tell people this is a matter of life and death but nobody is giving you the real facts. You know, you turn on all those cable TV shows and you get different facts depending on the channel. I give them the facts every day. Here is the information you need and they took it from there. They did the right thing and they supported each other and it was community and it was, for all the pain, it was beautiful what we did.

Jay Oliver: Now in relation to what you did what is your feeling regarding some of the concerts? Could they come back? Comedy clubs have been banned. Musical festivals. I know Senator Schumer has got a bill out there that's called Save Our Stages Act. They need some government grants, seeking some money. We know that but what is your feeling regarding some of this other stuff to get back in some sort of situation where we can have some crowds safely of course. What about the prospect of having some of these venues up and running?

Governor Cuomo: Good point. Two things, Jay. First, if Washington does not step up to the plate here and get us financial aid we're going to be in a whole world of hurt for a long time. This state, between the state and the local governments, we need about $15 billion. People say, well, raise taxes, raise taxes. I raise taxes, it puts the state at a competitive disadvantage because other people can go to other states and taxes are very high in the state to begin with. But okay, raise taxes. If we went to the highest income tax in the country which is now California we'd lose a couple of billion dollars. A couple of billion dollars - we have a $50 billion hole. What am I going to do with a couple of billion dollars? So Washington has to step up and stop the politics and just get it done.

On the concerts and comedy clubs, you are going to the last tranche if you will. When you look back and look at what we did, the most essential businesses with the lowest risk we did first. Essential businesses clearly, but then most essential - you have to buy food, you have to go to the doctor, you have to go to the pharmacy, the most essential and the lowest risk, and the last was the least essential and greatest risk. The greatest risk is still the density. I understand concert venues, my good friend Billy Joel, he was doing Madison Square Garden, when will we get back to Madison Square Garden? Those large arenas pose the greatest risk, even if you say, "Okay, every two seats, every three seats," yeah but you're still channeling people in and out of a corridor, right? They're still coming through a gate, and then essential, and I hate to say this because everything is essential - comedy club. How essential is a comedy club when you're talking about the infection rate? Not to offend people in the comedy club, Lord knows we need to laugh, but those are the calibrations we're making.

Jay Oliver: Yeah, listen, those are very real and also, I'll say this, especially here on the island, Governor, licensed food establishments. I believe the number is they can have a limitation of 50 per social gathering, I know many are saying that they can kind of up that number a little bit, maybe a 50 percent rule - is that something also that you can be thinking up and down the road, regarding food establishments?

Governor Cuomo: Yes, but I'll make it simple for you, even the Governor, the rule is you don't want to go over one percent infection rate, okay? That's the rule. Open as many things as you can to stay at one percent and that's what I'm doing. "Well, maybe you can open more?" We are at one percent every day, Jay, not to torture the analogy, but you get on the scale and you're supposed to be under 200 pounds. We're at 199.8. We don't have a lot of flexibility here. Some parts of the state are over 1. And we have 0.9, 0.92, we're right there, so I have my foot as far down on the gas pedal as I can push it without going over the speed limit. And if we're good on the social distancing and the schools don't explode and colleges don't explode and flu season doesn't complicate it, I have my foot on the pedal as far as I can to keep it just at 1. And you'll see, we'll go over 1 a little bit, we're under 1 a little bit, but we're at the maximum capacity now. Does that make sense to you?

Jay Oliver: Yeah it does absolutely. I do know especially when it comes to concerts and outdoor venues, we know a lot of people have been just screaming, you know what, let's try to get something going here. So I feel for those folks, especially in an outdoor situation when you try to spread them out, maybe it could be done in a sensible way but I'm sure you're going to be thinking about that as well.

Governor Cuomo: I'm thinking about everything. Nobody wants to open everything more aggressively than me. You know why? Cause I sit here all day long and everybody calls me and complains about their circumstance, right? We all see life through our lens, if you ever open a comedy club, if you're a restaurant that's struggling, if you're a concert arena, I get it. I get it, and I'm not in this job to cause people pain, so help me, God. I want to say yes to everything. I want to see the state jobs come back and the economy come back, but we're at one percent and then you have a couple of big question marks out there - what's going to happen with the colleges? Because you see these colleges kids coming back and the numbers are going up. What's going to happen when we bring kids back to schools? Are you going to start to have clusters? Are they going to start to pop? Is a student going to get sick and bring the virus home to mom and dad and grandma? We're not out of the woods, Jay. Everybody's feeling confident, good. Cocky is not good, and we're still in this.

Jay Oliver: Listen, I'm with you and I even said before you came on, college campuses, you got to do it in a sensible situation and everybody has to be in this thing or it doesn't work, and that's what I said, these kids have to wear masks. We're 100 percent on that. Speaking of masks, MTA, the $50 fine, president of the railroad on with me yesterday, 90 percent of commuters are wearing the mask, it's the 10 percent that are not complying. I think it's a good thing, they've had ample time, those traveling to put the masks on and why not? They're putting people in danger, I think. If you're not wearing a mask, you're on that train, I think at this point and you'd agree, a $50 fine makes sense to me.

Governor Cuomo: Yes, and the first thing, this is one of the no-brainers in life. The masks are effective. Everybody says the masks are effective. Every health expert says they're effective. Some people don't wear them because they want to make a political statement, I'm defiant, the government can't tell me. Government isn't telling you to wear a mask. Your wife is telling you to wear a mask. Your kid is telling you to wear a mask. Your neighbor is telling you to wear a mask. Because it's for you and it's for them. Don't be selfish. They want to play politics with masks? The most esteemed projection model, which is funded by the Gates Foundation, which is a model the president uses, says 144,000 more people will die from COVID than if we had a national mask mandate. Think about that, 144,000 people because this nation doesn't have the wherewithal to say wear a mask. New York was the first state in the country to have a mask mandate. And look, mask mandate, "Oh, Governor Cuomo's ordering me to wear a mask." I can't order you to wear a mask. Government can't order any of these things. 19 million people in this state. you think the police could make somebody wear a mask, make somebody stay home, make somebody social distance? The community did it, people did it, common sense did it. You walk out on the street without a mask now, they give you a dirty look. Good. Don't curse, don't get more aggressive, but a dirty look is fine. Why? Because you are disrespecting me.

Now, on the Long Island Rail Road we have a different problem. People are starting to come back to work. They're doing it in their cars, Jay, and this has happened all across the globe. When people start to come back to work after a metropolitan area has been closed down, they're nervous about the concentration, they're nervous about the density, so they commute in their cars. You look at the bridges and the tunnels and the LIE, midtown tunnel, the volume is way up. But, the Long Island Rail Road, the volume is way down. They're nervous about getting on the Long Island Rail Road. Now, I understand it. Density, you don't want to be on a platform, you don't want to be in a car. We disinfect every subway car. Think about that, how amazing. If you ever told me this three years ago I would have said you're smoking something funny. We disinfect every car. We couldn't even get the newspapers and the coffee cups off the car. We're now disinfecting them. But, when you're on the car, you want to know people wear masks and we're using the hand sanitizer, and we are. And if you're going to disrespect me, and get on a car, LIRR car, and you're not wearing a mask, I have no problem saying you should be fined. Not at all. First, they'll give you a mask. You have to be just defiant. They'll say here's a mask. No I don't want to put it on. Okay. $50 fine, or you could be evicted, and I don't have a problem with that.

Jay Oliver: Talking with the governor of the State of New York. Couple of minutes. I want to get a couple of more things in. you know, utilities, near and dear to your and my heart, remember national grid and that whole deal, but we got a new game in town called PSEG Long Island, and we all know what happened on or around August the 4th, with Tropical Storm Isaias, Governor Cuomo. The communication was not great, we saw a lot of issues here, you know. Residual effects for a long time. You've got a little bit of restitution coming the way of the residents, $250 for spoiled food, I think it's $300 for medications. Lot of people not happy about that number, but that's a whole other thing. Are you happy right now? Where are you at with this whole thing? With the PSEG, that meant LIPA, the governing board and everything else over this thing. It's until the next storm that's a kind of a wait and see approach. I guess the big question is are we all waiting and seeing in their approach next time? That is a big question right now, and we're still not done by a long shot with storm season.

Governor Cuomo: Fool me once, fool me twice, I'm done. You know the expression 'I'm done?' I'm done. It's not just PSE&G. It's all of them. It's Con Ed, it's all of them. This is what they're doing. And it's a little technical but I need people to understand it and I need politicians to actually stand up. The silly analogy, there's a trucking company that gets massive parking tickets in Manhattan. They double-park all the time, they do daily shipping deliveries. I call up the trucking company. I say you get massive parking tickets, they pay the parking tickets, but I say you've blocked traffic all over the place. And you do it all the time, it's routine. Basically the person says to me yeah, we consider it a cost of doing business. We have to drop of the package, so we double park the truck, we run in, we drop off the package, we block traffic, we get a ticket and we pay the ticket. It's a cost of doing business, and it's economical for them. They'd rather pay the ticket than have to circle the block twice, okay? These utility companies, I believe, would rather pay these penalties for slow response than invest the money they need to actually prevent it from happening.

Now, there's a state law that says the state is limited as to how much they can penalize a utility company after a storm or anything like that. The penalty is limited to $100,000 or .02 of 1 percent of their gross revenues. .02 of 1 percent of their gross revenues. This is utility protection program. Okay, you can penalize me, but it can only be .02 of 1 percent. By the way, I don't even know what .02 of 1 percent is. Why? It was put in by the utility companies. They had their politicians put in this provision. I want to say, change the law. There is no limit on the penalty. We can penalize you to the extent you created damage. None of this after the storm, okay, here's $200, and that's all we're going to do. No, you pay a penalty that is equivalent to the damage you did, and next time, if the penalty is enough, then you'll decide from a business point of view, I better put in a call service, I better hire additional staff, I better buy new trucks, because from a pure economic analysis it will be cheaper than paying the penalty. Right now, the penalty is cheaper. You tell me, and Jay, when you have those local politicians on the phone, or they come to your station, say why do you allow a state law limiting the penalty that can be charged to a utility company? Why would you ever do that? Why don't you protect the consumer instead of protecting the utility company? I know the utility companies are powerful, and they have lobbyists, and they give a lot of money. But at the end of the day, do you represent the utility company or do you represent the consumers? And I'm going to get them to pass that bill or I'm going to make sure every person in New York knows that they're in the pocket of the utility companies.

Jay Oliver: Yeah, that's a big problem right now. Trust is certainly a factor. Listen, before I let you go, and I got to let you go here soon.

Governor Cuomo: What? Where are you going? Do you have a date?

Jay Oliver: Well, I've been told - listen, if I get my head handed to me if I was told if I don't have you off by 9, that's what I was told. So, you know, listen I have to go along with it. But I got to ask you this -

Governor Cuomo: Question authority. Fight the system, Jay.

Jay Oliver: Okay, well if the people are listening, your people are listening, you heard the man. Now, I have to ask you this. So, you know we were talking about the masks and everything else, and I guess I was flipping through the internet and I get Paul Rudd. You did a really good job there. You released a new video with Rudd. It's part of that mask campaign. I know you got some other celebs on board, but I got to tell you, very effective. Well done, sir.

Governor Cuomo: How funny is this? You know, my frustration is younger people. College kids coming back to college, they all want to have a party, they all want to drink. Younger people at protests, they're not wearing their masks, they think they're invincible. So, for months the great challenge is how to get to young people. I call up Paul Rudd, and I'm a big fan of Paul Rudd, I had met him at an event. I call him up and I said, "you know can you do a PSA, a video, that really gets to young people?" And he's respectful, he's listening to me, "yeah, yeah, yeah I can do that." I said, "you know you're funny. I think humor might do it," because I've tried everything. I've begged, I've pleaded, I've threatened. I don't know what else to say. So, Paul Rudd says, "yeah, I can do it." And then he does that video that says, "Governor Cuomo called me up and asked me if I can do a message to Millennials. I'm 51 years old." I didn't know he was 51 years old. You know, he looks like a kid, doesn't he, Paul Rudd?

Jay Oliver: He goes back a long way that guy.

Governor Cuomo: Paul Rudd says on the video, "the Governor said I was 26. I didn't correct him." But look, he is a masterful performer and it is funny as heck, but it's also powerful. It's gotten 9 million views in like 24 hours and that's theaudience we have to talk to; we have to talk to young people. You know, my daughters 25, 25, 22, they know all the answers they just don't know all the questions. That's the target audience for this masks, social distancing, et cetera.

Jay Oliver: Listen, I showed it to my kids, they're Millennials, and they were impressed. So maybe, you know what, if it changes minds and puts that thought process in place I think we'll all be better off. Listen, an absolute pleasure to have you as always. I look forward to the next time, sir, how's that?

Governor Cuomo: And reefs: tomorrow schools, high schools could go online and watch this reef being built. It's going to be very cool, I encourage everyone to do it. It's online so people can just log on.

Jay Oliver: Good stuff. We look forward to that. Thank you, Governor.

Governor Cuomo: Thank you.

Jay Oliver: Governor Andrew Cuomo, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much.