at all.
I have long had a high opinion of Mario Cuomo. I remember, before he was governor of this state, he was honest and very progressive in his dealings with the Iroquois Confederacy. He had a solid understanding for the traditional ways. He treated people with great respect, something that is all too uncommon among non-Indian politicians.
I had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times when he was governor. We discussed a tense situation, where a politically powerful construction family was seeking to destroy Sacred Ground, for the use of gravel to cover a super fund toxic industrial waste dump site. Those meetings, and some in his office, with his personal attorney, were worthwhile. Mario Cuomo was a man of his word. This was frequently difficult, as he had real opposition, and bitter enemies.
I remember Andrew, from when he was one of his father's advisors. There was an intensity about him that I found uncomfortable with. I think that his role model in that period was Robert F. Kennedy, circa 1958-62. Andrew struck me as ruthless.
When he was running for governor, I had an opportunity to be meet him; there was a dinner with him and six others. I turned down the offer, which was a mistake on my part. I didn't see it then, but I do now.
I do talk to a few people around him. All agree that he is a shrewd, even ruthless, politician. None say those things as compliments these days. He is ambitious, in the worst sense of the word.
In 2011, I sent Mario Cuomo an e-mail, asking him to use his influence with Andrew, to urge him to do the right thing per hydrofracking. Of course, it would take great political courage on his part to do so -- something that Mario would have had the strength of being to do. I never did hear back from Mario Cuomo on that one, though.
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