Hello. As you probably know I'm stepping aside as your governor.
I wanted to share some thoughts with you that I've been thinking about over the past few days.
There will be another time to talk about the truth and ethics of the recent situation involving me, but let me say now that, when government politicizes allegations and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system - and that doesn't serve women and it doesn't serve men or society.
Of course everyone has a right to come forward and we applaud their bravery and courage in doing so, but allegations must still be scrutinized and verified whether made by a woman or a man. That is our basic justice system.
I understand that there are moments of intense political pressure and media frenzy that cause a rush to judgment. But that is not right. It's not fair or sustainable. Facts still matter.
A fire cracker can start a stampede but at one point everyone looks around and says, why are we running? The truth is ultimately always revealed.
The Attorney General's report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic. And it worked. There was a political and media stampede. But the truth will out in time - of that I am confident.
Now there are moments in life that test our character, that ask us, are we the person we believe we are? Or are we the person we try to be at our best? You know me. I am a fighter and my instinct is to fight this because it is unfair and unjust in my mind. But you also know that I love New York and I serve you. That is the oath that I took, and in this moment I believe the right thing is that my service come first.
Prolonging this situation could only cause governmental paralysis and that is just not an option for you and not an option for the state, especially now. There is real work to be done and it will require government to function at the highest level. What we do now is more important than what we have done as a society in generations. What will New York State be in the future? No one can tell us because it depends on what we do now. Our actions will determine our future.
We must keep people and businesses thriving in this state. Crime must be controlled and we have to be smart about it.
No governor in the nation has passed more progressive measures than I have, but I disagree with some people in my own party who called to defund the police. I believe it is misguided. I believe it is dangerous.
Gun violence and crime are savaging inner cities. Look at New York City. The majority of victims are poor, Black and brown. Reforming police must be the goal. Ending discrimination by the police, ending the unnecessary use of force, and then building back trust and respect between the police and the community they serve. That's the real answer and that is easier said than done, but it's also the truth and the right way forward.
Our state's economic competitiveness is vital. Demonizing business is against our collective self-interest. Taking actions that cause businesses to flee the state, taking jobs with them, only weakens our tax base and our ability to do good things for people.
We can address income inequality without ending incomes. Taxes can be reduced right away if Washington does what they promised New Yorkers they would do and repeal the so-called SALT tax. That would lower New York's taxes $15 billion per year. That would make a major difference and frankly dwarf all of the other federal aid programs.
It should have been done eight months ago. We're going to have to fight to make it happen, but we must wage that fight. Let's remember what made New York State the Empire State in the first place. New York's historic success was not a process of evolution. It didn't just happen. We weren't born this way. We were born of vision and daring and competence. We built the canals, the roads, the bridges, and education system and the economy that made us the greatest state in the nation. Somewhere along the way, government lost its competence and then people lost confidence in government.
But today is a different day. We have reason to believe in New York's future based on what we have accomplished together. We've shown potential. We've shown that the New York spirit that reached for the skies, that refused to accept defeat, that challenged possibility, that said no to the status quo, that took on the bureaucracy that still exists. And we must demand that government continue to perform and achieve and accomplish.
We've embarked on the most aggressive green energy plan in the nation. Not talk, action. Hundreds of projects all across the state, starting now. New transmission lines for a green grid. We are rebuilding our upstate airports. Buffalo is building back. A new LaGuardia Airport, first new airport in the nation in 25 years, a new JFK Airport, a new Penn Station to end the hellacious conditions of Penn Station, more affordable housing than ever before. These projects are underway and essential to complete quickly and effectively because they are literally building our future. We cannot go back to the old days when government talked, and government
