ALBANY – Penn Station is “disgusting,” according to Gov. Cuomo.
His swipe at the transit hub came in Westchester on Tuesday, during the third of six State of the State addresses planned this week.
Government should not be about talking and debating but about serving citizens, he said.
“Build the bridge. Fill the pothole. Make life better. Clean up Penn Station,” he said. “It is disgusting.”
Officials have been talking about remaking Penn Station for years.
A plan proposed by Cuomo last year would upgrade the facility and move some operations to a neighboring post office.
The first portion is scheduled for opening in 2020.
Cuomo also called on taxpayers to support his plan to cut property taxes, which go to local governments.
“Opposition to this is going to be fierce,” he predicted.
“The entire political class of New York State is going to oppose it. So I’m going to need the people of this state to stand up and speak loudly and say we’re tired of paying these high taxes.” The governor pre-emptively addressed expected criticism from local governments, which are sure to complain about a loss in revenue.
“They can tighten their belt the same way every person in this room has tightened their belt,” he said.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who ran for governor against Cuomo in 2014, charged that the property-tax comments were intended as an attack on him.
“Andrew Cuomo is utterly shameless,” Astorino said.