New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Suozzi claims Gov. Kathy Hochul’s obsession with the Buffalo Bills could doom the Big Apple’s public schools.
The Long Island congressman told The Post Friday he believes Hochul, a Buffalo native and fellow Democrat, surrendered too much political capital during this year’s budget negotiations to secure support for construction on a new $1.4 billion stadium for her favorite football team – to be funded with an unprecedented $850 million in public money.
This, he claims, made it all but impossible for Hochul to deliver Mayor Eric Adams the four-year extension of mayoral control over city schools that she promised or help combat rising crime by fixing state bail laws.
Hochul’s state budget gave the Bills $850 million in taxpayer funding for the new stadium. Populous
Hochul only gave Adams a two-year extension on mayoral control of city schools. Stephen Yang for the New York PoUnder a deal cut by state lawmakers, Adams is expected to only get a two-year extension on schools and faces new measures that could undermine his authority over them.
“The governor gave up all her leverage to get the Bills deal done, …which is the biggest taxpayer giveaway in the history of the National Football League,” said Suozzi, a longtime Adams ally.
“She really didn’t address mayoral control … and this is going to dilute the mayor’s authority to get things done,” the centrist Democrat added.
Hochul’s campaign declined comment.
