New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is preparing to take unilateral action to further artificially adjust labor rates. He has instructed Acting State Labor Commissioner Mario J. Musolino to create a wage board to examine the minimum wage in the fast-food industry.

The rhetoric coming from the governor’s office is troubling, but unfortunately familiar. He has time and again ignored the basic tenets of democracy and rushed detrimental policies to suit his own personal agenda.

From the introduction of the SAFE Act, which was forced through the state legislature with no input from the public, law enforcement, or mental-health experts, to his propensity for using messages of necessity, which bypass the traditional three-day aging period for legislation, the governor has consistently put his politics before the people.

More harm than good

The recommendations of the wage board, expected in July, do not need legislative approval, according to the governor’s own recent press release. This is a reckless case of executive overreach with high stakes. We are already raising the minimum wage in New York at the end of this year — jeopardizing the jobs of small-business employees — so we can ill-afford to put any more pressure on job creators.

In addition, the governor is singling out one industry and creating a separate standard for it to meet. His previous minimum-wage proposal set up regional disparities by offering higher wages downstate. By doing so, we will do more harm than good to the economy.

The governor’s defense of his plan was enumerated in a New York Times op-ed that featured a major factual error regarding the number of fast-food workers raising a child. The piece claimed that two-thirds of those workers had a child, when in fact the number is far lower, as reported in a Capital New York article: http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/05/8567569/cuomo-wage-op-ed-contains-error.

Further, the article goes on to note how similar the governor’s op-ed is to talking points from apparently pro-hike labor groups.

The business community almost unanimously opposes a hike in the minimum wage. Many employers express the fear that they may have to lay workers off to accommodate the law. Considering that New York state is already struggling with high taxes, lagging job growth, and one of the worst business climates in the U.S., it is baffling why the governor and Assembly majority are pushing yet another mandate on job creators.

I stand firm in my commitment to improving the business climate in New York and urge all legislative leaders to stop applying undue pressure on the business community. The last thing New York needs is a spike in unemployment.        

Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C–Canandaigua) is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 131st Assembly District, which encompasses all of Ontario County and parts of Seneca County. Contact him at 

kolbb@assembly.state.ny.us

Isn’t it sweet to be surrounded by so much make-believe? So much pretending.

Various characters pretend our economy is just peachy. Pretend that any day now it will kick into higher gear. 

I hate to be the guy who tugs back the curtain to reveal the Wizard of Oz. But, things ain’t peachy. It is time to stop pretending.

This has been a dismal economic recovery. Despite being fueled by the easiest money in history, the economy is anything but robust. Let us stop pretending, please, Washington. The Obama economic policies have worked poorly. We may be headed toward another recession.

Your doctor checks your vitals. Economists do the same with the economy. Lately, the economy’s vitals have missed expectations by the most in six years. New jobs are weak. So is investment. So are exports. So are new business numbers and retail sales. 

Suppose your doc said your blood pressure stinks. And your ticker flutters. And your blood analysis is lousy. What would you think? Well, that’s what you should think about your economy. Let us stop pretending.

On the political front, we are asked to pretend a bunch of stuff about the Clintons — in the wake of the accusations in the new book “Clinton Cash.”

Enough already with the pretending. When you tug the curtain back, you see influence peddling and influence buying. 

The only reason people cough up millions to a politician is to get something in return. Period, end of fairy tale. People lay out the big bucks to buy influence. 

Politicians take the money by promising favors. Or, hinting it, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Or, by having a proxy do so. 

Let’s get real here. It doesn’t matter what the front is. “Yeah the bucks are going to charity.” It doesn’t matter what the defense is. “There is no evidence, you know. 

No evidence.”

C’mon, c’mon. Everybody knows there’s a whole lot of influence peddling going on. And, the Clintons are wizards at it.

If you want to pretend this doesn’t go on in Washington (or Albany), I will pin this year’s Casablanca award on your chest. (“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going in here!”)

If you want to pretend the Clintons are not running the biggest and best-oiled influence machine in town, I’ll pin two of them on you.

A genuinely honest defense of the Clintons should begin this way: Hey, influence-peddling is the lifeblood of this town. And the Clintons run the best game in town. 

So what’s your problem?

Now, that would be an honest defense. No pretending. 

From Tom…as in Morgan.          

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta, in addition to his radio shows and TV show. Contact him at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com

PULL QUOTE: Lately, the economy’s vitals have missed expectations by the most in six years.