The green community has been scrambling to get the pulse of Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo.<\/p>\n
Unlike Eliot Spitzer, Cuomo doesn’t have a big track record from his time as Attorney General as an enviro-policy guy.<\/p>\n
So in my conversations with conservation leaders, I’ve been hearing a lot of tea-leaf reading, a lot of speculation about early indicators about his attitude and agenda.<\/p>\n
Now comes the news that Cuomo is reappointing Larry Schwartz to continue as Senior Advisor on the second floor.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>Larry Schwartz has agreed to remain in the Executive Chamber to serve as Senior Advisor to the Governor. Mr. Schwartz\u2019s role will be to assist with the transition. <\/strong>Mr. Schwartz currently serves as Secretary to Governor David A. Paterson. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Schwartz made headlines earlier this year when he fired Environment commissioner Peter Grannis — a green-group favorite — for writing a memo opposing DEC job cuts.\u00a0 The memo was leaked to reporters.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cMany of our programs are hanging by a thread,\u201d it stated. \u201cThe public would be shocked to learn how thin we are in many areas. DEC is in the weakest position that it has been since it was created 40 years\u00a0ago.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Schwartz responded with an email (which Grannis gave to reporters) that read as follows:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is to remind you that you are not to report to work tomorrow.\u00a0 If I don\u2019t hear back from you by 10 a.m. tomorrow a press release will go out without your input. Failure to comply with this request and what I discussed with you today will result in your immediate termination tomorrow morning and the press release will reflect\u00a0that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Grannis has since joined one of the state’s most prominent conservation groups in New York. <\/span><\/p>\n
There have also been rumbles that Schwartz opposes spending taxpayer money to acquire more parcels of state land in the Adirondacks.<\/span><\/p>\n
None of this is definitive.\u00a0 But until we know more about Cuomo’s policy agenda, news like this will make green leaders nervous.
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