Paladino Campaign: Cuomo Wrong On Transmission

October 19

The campaign for Republican Carl Paladino is pushing back against a statement Democrat Andrew Cuomo made in Monday night’s debate that endorsed finding a solution to downstate’s energy woes.

“We need to do a better job of transmission. We need to get the power from upstate New York, from Western New York, low-cost power from Canada down to the metropolitan area of New York City,” Cuomo said. “That’s basically a challenge of transmission lines.”

Though Paladino refrained from jumping on any of Cuomo’s statements, Michael Caputo, his campaign manager, knocked Cuomo’s statement as being “dead wrong.”

Andrew Cuomo is dead wrong on the issue of using upstate New York as a thoroughfare to transmit power to New York City. The residents of upstate recently fought and won a three year battle against New York Regional Interconnect’s (NYRI) $2.1 billion plan to construct dangerous transmission lines that will destroy the environment, harm the local economy and potentially cause health and safety risks. (http://www.evesun.com/news/stories/2009-04-06/6667/NYRI-pulls-the-plug-on-powerline-project/)

Andrew Cuomo wants to breathe life back into the dead NYRI proposal and will surely support other similar plans to mar the beautiful upstate scenery with massive transmission towers. He also made it clear last night that he’ll likely support further theft of upstate power allotments just to feed the lights of Manhattan. Andrew Cuomo’s comment proves that he has no knowledge or respect for the values of upstate New Yorkers and will cater to the special interest and New York City power base.

Andrew Cuomo didn’t misspeak. Twice. He won’t come out of his hole to speak to the voters in an unfiltered, uncontrolled format – because he doesn’t understand the issues and he makes serious mistakes.