Gov. Andrew Cuomo was off first-responding in Puerto Rico Tuesday as the rule of law in the Empire State continued its no-bail-driven descent to low comedy.
The gov is a handy man to have around when you’re in an auto wreck on the BQE, or stuck in a snowbank in Buffalo, but it’s no disrespect to Puerto Rico to suggest that Cuomo has more pressing tasks at hand than touring earthquake damage 1,700 miles to the south.
After all, New York voters of Puerto Rican descent already know how deeply the governor cares — he’s made that sufficiently clear — and doubtless they’ll understand if he gets back to his day job.
Specifically, Cuomo needs to address the criminal justice “reform” damage he and his legislative co-conspirators inflicted on New York last year — in particular by loosening the state’s bail laws to functional non-existence.
Exhibit A: The NYPD Tuesday night once again was looking for one Gerod Woodberry, believed to have attempted a fifth and sixth bank robbery after having been released without bail after four — count ’em, four! — previous bank robbery arrests.
“I can’t believe they let me out,” Woodberry reportedly said after his release Thursday. “What were they thinking?”
What, indeed. And you know what else? If there is a sixth arrest, under the new law, it will be followed by yet another expeditious arraignment and release.
That’s the law — which Cuomo needs to fix, even it means using the considerable powers of his office to bludgeon legislative leaders into understanding that their responsibilities extend far beyond pleasing progressive ideologues and the frighteningly large number of lawmakers who pander to them.
Those being released — among them a violent anti-Semite, a drunk driver involved in a fatal accident, and dozens of other offenders all across the state — clearly present public-safety issues. Any law that mandates the unquestioning release of such people needs to be rewritten.
But there is another, equally compelling reason to reform the “reforms” — and that is simple respect for the laws.
People are watching. And while most — like Woodberry — can’t believe what they are seeing, others view it all as a developing opportunity.
That would be folks who think contemptuously to themselves that if Albany cares so little about a safe society that it permits such nonsense, why not take advantage of that? Why not turn up the heat?
Certainly, as it is becoming increasingly clear, Albany doesn’t care.
In particular, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie doesn’t care. He’s said flat out that he has no intention of visiting the issue soon — if at all.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has shown no appetite to do so — and while her conference appears to be more restive on this issue than Heastie’s, she needs pressure, too.
And, again, First Responder Cuomo Tuesday was off demonstrating where his priorities lie. He needs to reorder them — and apply the considerable constitutional powers of his office to bring the Legislature into line.
Cuomo helped create the problem, and now it’s his to fix.