NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A new war of words is brewing between Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
While delivering testimony at a budget hearing on local governments before the Joint Fiscal Committees of the New York State Legislature on Thursday, de Blasio said the pandemic powers granted to Cuomo last March should be rolled back.
The mayor, often cautious in criticizing the state, this time was exceedingly blunt when asked how vaccine distribution could be made to go more smoothly.
"We don't have reliable numbers on the supply and I know for county executives, mayors, town supervisors all over the state we're all in the same boat — our local health officials know what they're doing, but don't have clear direction from the state on what we're gonna get at any given point," de Blasio said.
He went even further saying, "There's lots of specific rules the state adds on and changes all the time, it's just gumming up the works."
The mayor said too many strict or incoherent rules are coming from above, leading to delays, red tape and confusion.
He believes the power has to be restored to the localities.
"What would be so much simpler is for the state to trust local officials, local health authorities, whose lives are devoted to protecting people," the mayor said. "Give us a supply and then let us do what we know how to do."
He went on to say, "The incessant desire to micromanage every step, we saw what that led to. For a long time, that meant that vaccine was not getting where it was needed, where people were not being given the opportunity who needed to be vaccinated, it led to a lot of artificial delays, there were even reports in some places upstate of vaccine going to waste because the state rules were so stringent that vaccine had to be thrown away rather than given to people who need it."
In response, a Cuomo spokesperson tweeted, "The mayor doesn’t understand the law—any EO can be reversed by a simple resolution of the legislature, which is in session."
Peter Ajemian added, "As far as the mayor saying he knows what he is doing, I respectfully suggest that every public poll suggests the people of NYC strongly disagree."
Last week, one of the state Senate’s longest-serving Democrats also expressed support for reevaluating Cuomo’s emergency powers.
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