Quotes from Andrew Cuomo

The time has come to return integrity, performance and dignity to New York and make it the Empire State once again.

I'm governor of New York.

I'm running for governor; I'm not running for a legislative office.

A governor can be a very good friend to people. A governor can be a formidable force.

It's time for the people of the Empire State to strike back.

Fight as hard as you can, and then understand there's going to have to be some amount of reasonable compromise.

It's a matter of opinion on many of these issues, and there's no right or wrong. That's why we have elections; that's why we have debates. Donald Trump thinks one thing. Hillary Clinton thinks another thing.

I respect the state workers and I respect their unions, but we simply can't afford to pay benefits and pensions that are out of line with economic reality.

If you go from $7 to $15 in a very short period of time, potentially that could have a negative effect on some economies because that is a very big jump. And you're saying to businesses that employ a large number of minimum wage workers, your payroll is basically going to double. That could have a negative impact. It would have to be studied.

During Hurricane Sandy, we expended billions and billions of dollars, literally. In the handling of the emergency and the construction and the aftermath, trying to get people to come back to the affected communities. So I'm very proud of what the state did.

If there's a silver bullet in the battle to recapture Albany, it is the re-engagement of our citizens. This capital has become a physical metaphor for the isolation and alienation of our people.

I've been not only articulating the dissatisfaction with Albany, I've been acting on it. I've been very aggressive in bringing public integrity cases and public corruption cases and bringing cases against sitting legislators.

There is no dispute that Albany needs to be changed. There is no dispute that the current situation in Albany is untenable. Nobody knows that better than I do.

Fear is a powerful weapon. It can excite and motivate, and it can get people to yell and to scream. But fear has never created a job.

The Health Commissioner has given us good advice. It's smarter to keep the COVID patients separate. You don't want a person who goes into a hospital with one situation developing COVID because they happened to be exposed.

People who assume I want to run for elected office may be dealing from a bad assumption.

There was never a war on poverty. Maybe there was a skirmish on poverty

I am fiscally prudent and socially progressive. I believe in protecting a woman's right to choose. I believe in marriage equality.

Marriage equality changed life for people.

What made Manhattan Manhattan was the underground infrastructure, that engineering marvel.

There is also something called the Legislature. There is something called the press. There is something called people. These are all different players on the stage.

I think Hillary Clinton is going to do very well in New York, because there's one basic advantage. New Yorkers know Hillary Clinton. She was here for senator. We've seen her work. We've seen her performance.

The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the people have the right to replace it. Well, New York State government has failed and the people have the right, indeed the people have the the people have the obligation, to act.

Former President Shimon Peres was a leader and a statesman, and an especially wonderful friend to all of us. He will be missed dearly.