By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-946134.mp3
Albany, NY – Questions have arisen concerning New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's interactions with a group known as "The Committee to Save New York." Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
A group organized at the urging of Andrew Cuomo while he was a gubernatorial candidate is being accused of acting like it is a lobbying entity... "the Committee to Save New York" has the new Governor's blessing - last week Cuomo encouraged people to join the group during an appearance in Jamestown.
NYPIRG's legislative director Blair Horner believes the group IS lobbying and should be subject to the same rules governing all public interest groups - he says there are two distinct issues here: dealing with the Committee to Save New York as an entity and the Governor's responsibility for the group. NYPIRG is urging the Governor to require that the commmittee follow both the letter and the spirit of the disclosure laws so the public knows what groups are involved in its activities.
The state Business Council has voluntarily disclosed its involvement with the committee: Michael Moran is the Council's director of communications. He notes that while the Committee is not set up to lobby, the Business Council is.
Those involved with the Committee to Save New York tell the New York Times they are not trying to evade disclosure but want to develop a more formal version of the loose alliances that already exist among the state's regional business associations. Calls to Governor Cuomo's office and to Dan Klores Communications, (which represents the Committee to Save New York) were not returned in time for broadcast.